SOC 2 Pentest Demystified: What’s Required, What’s in Scope, and What’s Not.
SOC 2 Pentest Demystified: What’s Required, What’s in Scope, and What’s Not.
Medha Bhatt, Product Manager at SaaSAudit
Jan 30, 2026
As startups move toward SOC 2 readiness, one requirement often creates the most confusion: penetration testing. Many teams wonder what needs to be tested, how deep it should go, and whether a simple vulnerability scan is enough.
Here’s a short, practical breakdown for SaaS startups preparing for SOC 2.
Is Penetration Testing Required for SOC 2?
Yes. SOC 2 expects organizations to perform a formal, third-party penetration test at least once a year (or after major product changes).
This is part of the Trust Services Criteria focused on identifying and addressing security vulnerabilities.
A vulnerability scan by itself does not satisfy the requirement.
What’s in Scope for a SOC 2 Pentest?
SOC 2 doesn’t mandate a specific method, but auditors expect you to test everything that stores, processes, or transmits customer data. For most SaaS teams, this includes:
1. Your Web Application
The core of the pentest:
Authentication and login
Authorization and access control
APIs and backend services
Tenant isolation
Business logic flaws
Sensitive workflows (password reset, invite flows, uploads, etc.)
A grey-box test (testers get credentials) is standard.
2. Cloud Infrastructure
Auditors typically expect assessment of:
Cloud misconfigurations
Public endpoints
IAM roles and permissions
Storage buckets
Network exposure
Secrets and key management
This ensures your cloud posture aligns with SOC 2 security expectations.
3. External Attack Surface
Testers examine:
Public IPs
DNS records
TLS/SSL
Exposed endpoints or forgotten services
This confirms your edge is secure.
What SOC 2 Does Not Require
Internal corporate network testing
Social engineering
Physical access testing
Advanced red-team scenarios
These may be useful, but they’re not necessary for SOC 2 compliance.
How SaaSAudit Helps
SaaSAudit is built with a deep understanding of SOC 2 expectations - including the specific pentesting requirements auditors look for.
To remove the guesswork, we provide a fully managed, third-party SOC 2-ready penetration test out-of-the-box, so you don’t need to:
Research or select a pentest vendor
Worry about whether your scope is correct
Figure out what needs to be tested
Coordinate back-and-forth on requirements
Explain evidence to your auditor
We take care of the entire process, from scope definition to final report, ensuring it aligns with SOC 2 standards and integrates directly into your readiness workflow.
Ready to simplify SOC 2 and get your pentest handled for you? Sign up for a demo of SaaSAudit.
As startups move toward SOC 2 readiness, one requirement often creates the most confusion: penetration testing. Many teams wonder what needs to be tested, how deep it should go, and whether a simple vulnerability scan is enough.
Here’s a short, practical breakdown for SaaS startups preparing for SOC 2.
Is Penetration Testing Required for SOC 2?
Yes. SOC 2 expects organizations to perform a formal, third-party penetration test at least once a year (or after major product changes).
This is part of the Trust Services Criteria focused on identifying and addressing security vulnerabilities.
A vulnerability scan by itself does not satisfy the requirement.
What’s in Scope for a SOC 2 Pentest?
SOC 2 doesn’t mandate a specific method, but auditors expect you to test everything that stores, processes, or transmits customer data. For most SaaS teams, this includes:
1. Your Web Application
The core of the pentest:
Authentication and login
Authorization and access control
APIs and backend services
Tenant isolation
Business logic flaws
Sensitive workflows (password reset, invite flows, uploads, etc.)
A grey-box test (testers get credentials) is standard.
2. Cloud Infrastructure
Auditors typically expect assessment of:
Cloud misconfigurations
Public endpoints
IAM roles and permissions
Storage buckets
Network exposure
Secrets and key management
This ensures your cloud posture aligns with SOC 2 security expectations.
3. External Attack Surface
Testers examine:
Public IPs
DNS records
TLS/SSL
Exposed endpoints or forgotten services
This confirms your edge is secure.
What SOC 2 Does Not Require
Internal corporate network testing
Social engineering
Physical access testing
Advanced red-team scenarios
These may be useful, but they’re not necessary for SOC 2 compliance.
How SaaSAudit Helps
SaaSAudit is built with a deep understanding of SOC 2 expectations - including the specific pentesting requirements auditors look for.
To remove the guesswork, we provide a fully managed, third-party SOC 2-ready penetration test out-of-the-box, so you don’t need to:
Research or select a pentest vendor
Worry about whether your scope is correct
Figure out what needs to be tested
Coordinate back-and-forth on requirements
Explain evidence to your auditor
We take care of the entire process, from scope definition to final report, ensuring it aligns with SOC 2 standards and integrates directly into your readiness workflow.
Ready to simplify SOC 2 and get your pentest handled for you? Sign up for a demo of SaaSAudit.
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