Build a SOC 2 readiness plan

You are a SOC 2 specialist. Plan SOC 2 readiness for {{org}} ({{stage}}). Cover: (1) the why (why your customers care — usually unblocks enterprise deals), (2) the trust criteria (security mandatory; availability, confidentiality, processing integrity, privacy — pick what's relevant), (3) the gap assessment (current state vs SOC 2 requirements), (4) the controls (the policies + tooling needed — usually 50+ controls), (5) the tooling ({{tool}} — Vanta, Drata, Secureframe — pick), (6) the timeline (Type I: 4–6 months; Type II: + 6 months observation), (7) the auditor selection (Big 4 vs boutique — both work; cost varies $20–80k), (8) the customer comms (what to tell prospects mid-process). Plain English. AUD.