Educational drafts — ProofWindow helps founders prepare a first SOC 2. Not legal or audit advice. Not a GRC product.

PW-SOC2-012 SOC 2 readiness spoke

CAIQ-Lite / SIG-Lite while SOC 2 is in progress

TL;DR. CAIQ-Lite and SIG-Lite let you answer standardized security questions while the audit is underway. Keep one source of truth, version answers, and align them to your in-progress control set so you do not invent conflicting claims across buyers.

By ProofWindow Editorial Published Last reviewed REVIEW-20260905

Why lightweight questionnaires matter

Deals move on questionnaires long before your report PDF exists. CAIQ-Lite and SIG-Lite (and vendor portals derived from them) are common bridges.

Operating rules

Questions founders ask

CAIQ-Lite vs full CAIQ?

Lite is shorter for earlier-stage reviews; some buyers still send custom portals.

SIG-Lite enough for banks?

Regulated buyers may require more—ask early.

How often to refresh answers?

When architecture, vendors, or control status changes—and on a quarterly review.