Who is Zero Day CPA?
Zero Day CPA, PC is a Troy, Michigan boutique founded in 2020, with about 25–30 people and a book built around first SOC 2 and HIPAA audits for startups. It is not a regional full-service CPA firm.
The value proposition is economical, efficient work at high quality. Every audit manager brings at least five years at a Big Four or major national accounting firm (EY, Grant Thornton, and other large firms), so buyers get enterprise-grade rigor at startup pricing rather than a cut-rate audit. Zero Day CPA covers SOC 1, SOC 2, SOC 3, and HIPAA, and offers penetration testing as a separate service.
Zero Day CPA serves clients in English, Spanish, and Arabic, operates with 24/7 on-call auditors, and is co-founded by President & CPA Lance Samona and CTO Patrick Sesi. Named and reviewed clients include SCYTHE, Realfinity, Refyne Tech, Campus Tree, Health Hive, ViaPeople, Housing Cloud, Fluent Finance, Comulate, and Paidwell.
What credentials does Zero Day CPA actually hold?
Zero Day CPA is a licensed CPA firm and AICPA member whose every audit manager brings at least five years at a Big Four or major national accounting firm — so the report carries genuine credentialed weight, not a cut-rate signature.
This is the firm’s core answer to the “is this a legitimate auditor” question that first-time buyers and their customers ask.
The credentials behind the report:
- Licensed CPA firm and AICPA member. SOC 2 attestation is an AICPA engagement; a report is only as good as the CPA firm issuing it. Zero Day CPA is a properly licensed firm.
- AICPA Peer Review Program enrolled. Zero Day CPA is enrolled in the AICPA Peer Review Program, the profession’s independent quality check, with its most recent review dated February 28, 2025 (2023 coverage period).
- Big Four / national-firm bench. Every audit manager brings 5+ years at a Big Four or major national firm (EY, Grant Thornton, and other large firms). Buyers get that rigor at boutique pricing.
- Independently rated 5.0 across 15 reviews on the Drata Auditor Directory, and a Drata Advanced Alliance Member.
For an early-stage company whose SOC 2 report has to satisfy an enterprise customer’s vendor-security team, that combination of a real CPA license, active peer review, and Big-Four-trained managers is what makes the attestation defensible.
Is Zero Day CPA built for first-time SOC 2?
Yes. Zero Day CPA prices, scopes, and staffs for 1–100 employee cloud companies on AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud that need a first report on a customer or investor deadline. It does not treat that buyer as a scaled-down enterprise job.
That focus shows up in the experience: a dedicated auditor per engagement, communication over Slack with replies often within minutes, and readiness assessments for first-time clients to identify and remediate control gaps before fieldwork begins. Zero Day CPA also offers fractional and virtual CISO (vCISO) services, so companies that need ongoing security leadership alongside the audit can keep it under one roof.
What SOC reports does Zero Day CPA issue?
Zero Day CPA performs the full range of SOC attestations: SOC 1 (Type 1 and Type 2), SOC 2 (Type 1 and Type 2), and SOC 3. SOC 2 for SaaS and cloud startups is the firm’s highest-volume engagement.
For a first-time buyer, the common path is a SOC 2 Type 1 (a point-in-time design review, often needed fast to unblock a deal) followed by a SOC 2 Type 2 (an operating-effectiveness report over a monitoring window, typically 3-12 months). Zero Day CPA runs both, shares evidence across them, and pairs Type 1 with a readiness assessment when a client does not yet know where its control gaps are.
Does Zero Day CPA cover HIPAA?
Yes — Zero Day CPA performs HIPAA and HITECH security and risk assessments, and it is a core competency given the firm’s healthcare and health-tech client base. Companies handling protected health information (PHI) can run HIPAA and SOC 2 through the same firm on shared evidence rather than coordinating two engagements.
This makes Zero Day CPA a natural fit for health-tech startups that need to satisfy both a SOC 2 request from an enterprise customer and HIPAA obligations from handling patient data.
Does Zero Day CPA also sell penetration testing?
Zero Day CPA offers penetration testing as a standalone service, separate from its SOC 2 attestation work. Testing uses both automated and manual methods across servers, workstations, wireless networks, and web and mobile applications (iOS, Android, Windows), plus social engineering — API testing follows the OWASP API Security Top 10, and web application review follows the OWASP Top 10 and
SANS Top 20.
One independence point is worth understanding before you scope it. When a SOC 2 report needs an accompanying penetration test, the cleanest posture is to have that test performed by a provider other than the CPA firm issuing the report. Under AICPA independence rules, an auditor that evaluates a pen test it performed for the same client runs into a self-review consideration, because the test becomes part of the control environment the audit then assesses. So treat Zero Day CPA’s pen testing as a service you can buy on its own, and — if you are also engaging the firm for your SOC 2 — raise the separation question on the first call rather than assuming the two should be bundled.
Which frameworks does Zero Day CPA cover?
Zero Day CPA is a focused SOC, HIPAA, and penetration-testing shop. It does not offer ISO 27001, HITRUST, CMMC, FedRAMP, StateRAMP, or PCI DSS Level 1 QSA work. Buyers who need any of those frameworks should plan for a separate or additional firm.
If your compliance roadmap is SOC 2 (with optional SOC 1, SOC 3, or HIPAA) and you want it done fast and economically, Zero Day CPA is a strong fit. If it includes ISO 27001 certification, government frameworks (FedRAMP/StateRAMP/CMMC), HITRUST, or hyperscale PCI, you will need to look elsewhere for that scope.
Zero Day CPA works with every major compliance automation platform used by startups, and does not push a proprietary GRC tool of its own — it sits on top of whatever the client already uses, which avoids forcing a platform change as part of the audit.
Drata: Zero Day CPA is a Drata Advanced Alliance Member. Reviewers specifically cite the team’s deep familiarity with the Drata platform as the reason evidence requests moved quickly — the firm knows the system as a practitioner, not just a partner.
Vanta and Secureframe: Full evidence-collection partnerships; the firm works closely with both day to day.
Sprinto and TrustCloud: Supported for teams outside the Drata/Vanta ecosystem.
Thoropass, OneTrust, and Apptega: Also supported.
Does Zero Day CPA publish a fixed SOC 2 rate card?
Zero Day CPA sits at the affordable end of the credentialed-CPA market, with entry pricing for a single-cloud SaaS SOC 2 starting from around $5,000 — well below the typical first-time SOC 2 spend.
Because the number moves with headcount, cloud footprint, scope, and timeline, Zero Day CPA quotes each engagement after a short scoping call rather than publishing a fixed rate card.
Payment terms are flexible, which matters for seed-stage teams where cash timing is tight, and expedited timelines can be accommodated. For a firm-specific number tied to your environment, request a quote and we will route your scope to Zero Day CPA for a ballpark.
How long does a Zero Day CPA SOC 2 audit take?
Zero Day CPA’s stated turnaround is 2-6 weeks from kickoff to final report.
Client reviews back this up: one SaaS client reports receiving a final SOC 2 Type 1 report within 16 days of first engaging the firm, evidence requests included. Companies whose enterprise sales cycles depend on delivering a SOC 2 report by a specific date are the firm’s natural fit.
How does a Zero Day CPA engagement work?
Zero Day CPA runs a five-step engagement: an initial consultation to define scope, timelines, and expectations; in-depth control analysis with gap-bridging strategies; regular progress communication; iterative report drafting with client feedback; and a final delivery and review session.
Readiness and gap assessments are offered when needed, which matters most for first-time clients who do not yet know where their control gaps are.
Who leads Zero Day CPA?
Lance Samona is President and the firm’s named CPA, co-founder of Zero Day CPA, PC. See the sourced detail below for Zero Day CPA.
Patrick Sesi is Co-Founder & CTO, and the primary contact for new business and partnerships.
Jaime Guri is Account Relationship Manager, supporting client engagements.
Reviewers also single out individual auditors by name. One early-stage client highlighted working with Andrew Paterson over a four-month engagement, citing replies “within minutes.”
What do clients say about Zero Day CPA?
Zero Day CPA holds a 5.0 rating across 15 reviews on the Drata Auditor Directory, and the pattern across them is consistent: speed, responsiveness, and a calm hand for first-time buyers who find the process confusing.
“Zero Day CPA was instrumental in helping SCYTHE successfully complete our SOC 2 Type 2 assessment. Their deep familiarity with the Drata platform meant evidence requests were handled quickly and efficiently… Highly recommend Zero Day to any SaaS company pursuing SOC 2 attestation.”
— SCYTHE (via Drata Auditor Directory, March 2026)
“Their team was able to deliver the final SOC 2 Type 1 report for our company within 16 days of first engaging with them — even including requests for more evidence.”
— SaaS client (via Drata Auditor Directory, October 2025)
“Over four months I worked closely with Andrew Paterson, and he was amazing. He always responded to my questions within minutes, which was incredibly helpful.”
— Early-stage startup, first SOC 2 audit (via Drata Auditor Directory, February 2026)
“We decided to invest in SOC 2 before any customers required us to be certified… Zero Day CPA’s approach was pragmatic and helped us prepare for our (successful) audit.”
— Health Hive (client testimonial, zerodaycpa.com)
Who is Zero Day CPA a good fit for?
Zero Day CPA fits first-time SaaS, fintech, healthcare, and AI teams that want 2–6 week speed, fixed boutique pricing, and managers with Big Four years. ISO, HITRUST, FedRAMP, and PCI Level 1 QSA are out of scope.
Best fit for:
- Startups and growing SaaS, fintech, healthcare, and AI companies (1-100 employees) pursuing a first-time SOC 2 Type 1 or Type 2
- Founders who need speed (2-6 weeks), economical startup-friendly fixed pricing, and flexible payment terms
- Buyers who want enterprise-grade rigor at boutique pricing — every manager brings 5+ years at a Big Four or major national firm
- Companies on AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud already using Drata, Vanta, Secureframe, Sprinto, or TrustCloud
- Teams that want SOC 1, SOC 2, and HIPAA handled by one firm
- Healthcare and health-tech companies handling PHI that need HIPAA and SOC 2 together
- Buyers who value responsive, 24/7 support and service in English, Spanish, or Arabic
Not a fit — plan for a separate firm if you need:
- ISO 27001 or HITRUST
- FedRAMP, StateRAMP, or CMMC
- PCI DSS Level 1 QSA work at hyperscale
- A Big Four or Top 25 firm name on the report for investor or SEC optics
When should a buyer shortlist Zero Day CPA?
ISO 27001, HITRUST, FedRAMP, CMMC, and a Big Four logo are out of scope. The first-SOC speed case is the shortlist reason — licensed CPA, AICPA peer review, a 16-day Type 1 review, and entry estimates near $5,000. Buyers needing those other frameworks should compare broader firms.
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