When to Go Beyond SOC 2: ISO, HIPAA, and More

For most startups, SOC 2 is the first stop on the compliance journey. It’s the one enterprise buyers expect, and it opens the door to mid-market and SaaS deals.

But SOC 2 isn’t the endgame. As your company scales, new markets, industries, and regions will demand more than SOC 2. The question becomes: when do you add ISO, HIPAA, GDPR, or even FedRAMP?

At Rovally, we’ve helped companies expand from SOC 2 into multiple frameworks. Here’s how to know when it’s time — and how to avoid wasting time on frameworks you don’t need.

SOC 2: The Foundation

SOC 2 covers the basics of security and trust. It’s the entry ticket to enterprise SaaS sales in the U.S.

• Good for: SaaS companies selling to U.S.-based enterprise or mid-market.
• Signals: Security maturity, internal controls, and data protection.
• Timeline: 90 days (Type I) → 6–9 months (Type II).

📈 Win example: Turngate started with SOC 2 Type I and quickly unblocked enterprise customers. As soon as those deals matured, they expanded into other frameworks. SOC 2 was the springboard.

ISO 27001: Global Credibility

If SOC 2 is the U.S. standard, ISO 27001 is the global one. International buyers expect it, especially in Europe.

• Good for: Startups expanding globally or targeting multinational clients.
• Signals: Globally recognized information security certification.
• Timeline: 6–12 months (requires full ISMS maturity).

📈 Win example: Fixify added ISO 27001 after SOC 2 because their customers in EMEA wouldn’t accept SOC 2 alone. Result: smoother entry into international markets.

⚠️ Failure example: A U.S.-only SaaS spent months pursuing ISO before they had a single European customer. They burned cash and time on a cert no buyer was asking for.

HIPAA: Healthcare Customers

If you touch Protected Health Information (PHI), HIPAA compliance is non-negotiable. Healthcare customers won’t move forward without it.

• Good for: SaaS in healthtech, wellness, or handling PHI data.
• Signals: Ability to protect and handle sensitive medical data.
• Timeline: 3–6 months depending on existing controls.

📈 Win example: A healthtech client of ours layered HIPAA on top of SOC 2. With both in place, they went from mid-market pilots to enterprise healthcare contracts.

GDPR & CCPA: Privacy at Scale

SOC 2 and ISO cover security. GDPR and CCPA cover data privacy rights — and customers in Europe and California expect you to honor them.

• Good for: SaaS storing user data in EU or California.
• Signals: Compliance with data privacy laws, not just security controls.
• Timeline: Ongoing — not a one-time cert, but operational practices (data subject rights, breach notification, etc.).

⚠️ Failure example: A startup launched in Europe without GDPR practices. When their first customer asked for a Data Processing Agreement (DPA), they had to scramble legal, security, and engineering — delaying launch by 2 months.

CMMC & FedRAMP: Government Work

If you want to sell into the U.S. government or government suppliers, SOC 2 won’t cut it. You’ll need CMMC (for defense contracts) or FedRAMP (for federal SaaS).

• Good for: Startups entering gov/defense supply chain.
• Signals: Highest levels of security and operational maturity.
• Timeline: 12–18 months (very resource-intensive).

📈 Win example: Kilsar leaned on Rovally to implement CMMC 2.0 and begin FedRAMP readiness alongside SOC 2. Without guidance, they’d have wasted quarters untangling requirements.

How to Decide What’s Next

The right framework depends on three things:

1. Customer Demands: If a buyer says “we need ISO” — that’s your signal.
2. Market Expansion: Going global? Add ISO + GDPR. Healthcare? Add HIPAA. Gov? Add CMMC/FedRAMP.
3. Stage & Resources: Each framework adds operational overhead. Layer them as your business justifies it.

The Takeaway

SOC 2 is your starting point. But it’s not the ceiling. As you grow:

• Add ISO for international.
• Add HIPAA for healthcare.
• Add GDPR/CCPA for privacy.
• Add CMMC/FedRAMP for government.

The mistake is either doing too little (losing deals) or doing too much too soon (burning cash). The key is sequencing frameworks with your growth.

At Rovally, we don’t just hand you a map — we drive. We’ve taken startups through SOC 2, ISO, HIPAA, GDPR, CMMC, and FedRAMP without findings, while keeping engineers focused on product and sales teams focused on closing.

Ship product. Close deals. Leave compliance frameworks to us.