Data security is a huge concern, and a way to prove you take data security seriously is by obtaining a SOC 2 certificate. When obtained, SOC 2 is the gateway to larger enterprise contracts for SaaS companies, but the process of obtaining it can be labor-intensive, costly, and confusing. Drata was born to help streamline this process. We talk with Adam Markowitz, co-founder and CEO of Drata, to talk through SOC 2 and what Drata does for its customers. About Adam Markowitz: Adam is a former aerospace engineer who worked on rocket engines for NASA’s next-generation space launch vehicle as well as the Space Shuttle Main Engine. He went on to be the founder and CEO of Portfolium (Acquired by Instructure – 2019), proudly serving millions of students and grads from over 3,600 colleges and universities. He co-founded Drata in 2020 and recently closed a $25M Series A with GGV Capital , SVCI - Silicon Valley CISO Investments , Okta Ventures, Cowboy Ventures , and Leaders Fund . In this episode we discuss: 01:58 What does SOC 2 Compliance and why is it so hard to achieve? 05:03 The SOC 2 process with and without Drata 06:48 Why SOC 2 is a growing concern for startups 08:22 Is SOC 2 standard for B2B companies? 09:53 What’s the first thing you should know if you’re asked for a SOC2 report? 12:12 The difference between SOC 2 Type I and SOC2 Type II 13:07 What the best case turnaround time for a SOC 2 Type I report 13:48 Why many companies do a SOC 2 Type I on the way to get a SOC 2 Type II 14:43 What type on content is in a SOC 2 report 16:43 How founders should think about SOC 2 requests from clients 18:25 How can startups instill a culture of cybersecurity 20:59 Who should manage the SOC 2 process at smaller startups 23:07 What Drata does to help simplify and automate the SOC 2 process 26:13 What is the overlap between SOC 2 and HIPPA 27:23 When is the right time to add a CISO position to a startup? 28:50 Drata’s traction and recent Series A financing Fast Favorites Podcast Masters of Scale Newsletter/Blog Ted Talks Gadget Airpods Trend Hybrid/Remote work Book Extreme Ownership: How the US Navy SEALs Lead and Win by Jocko Wilink Relentless: From Good to Great to Unstoppable by Tim Grover and Shari Wenk Follow Matt Cohen and Tank Talks here! Podcast production support provided by Agentbee.Agency