How Taxcel met SOC 2 compliance and gained 30+ big clients in one year with NordLayer

Taxcel, a Brazilian tax software start-up, was growing fast. The company now employs 33 employees and serves 700 customers. To win deals with local Brazilian subsidiaries of global giants, Taxcel first had to prove its security standards by achieving SOC 2 Type 2 certification.

SOC 2 confirms that a company has strict access controls and secure data handling practices to protect customer data. Meeting these requirements meant finding a private networking solution. Enterprise security services are expensive in Brazil, and they were looking for a reliable yet budget-friendly solution.

By choosing NordLayer, Taxcel was able to not only support SOC 2 compliance and automate security tasks, but it also gained a competitive edge that helped it land 30 new corporate clients in one year, including General Motors, Coca-Cola, and Shell.

The challenge: Scaling security for SOC 2 and global clients

Fast growth means new opportunities and new demands. To win contracts with global companies, they first needed to earn SOC 2 Type 2 certification. For these clients, it was non-negotiable.

Yet Taxcel had no security solution in place. They also wanted to prepare for ISO 27001 certification, which would require even tighter controls.

Hybrid work was adding risk. Constantly changing employee IP addresses forced them to keep their SQL server exposed to the internet, a dangerous and inefficient workaround. Security officer, Bruno Fialkovics, spent at least an hour a day manually updating IP lists in their Azure environment to keep the team connected. It was insecure, non-compliant, and a massive drain on time.

Taxcel’s CTO, Leonardo Souza, recalls:

Taxcel needed tighter access controls, secure data handling, and compliance readiness. This led them to NordLayer.

How NordLayer helped Taxcel

Leonardo researched cybersecurity solutions and quickly ruled out local Brazilian providers for their high costs. While exploring other options, he discovered NordLayer, partly through its strong reputation among users in the tech community and visibility through sponsored tech YouTubers.

NordLayer’s setup was fast. Taxcel's security officer, Bruno, had the solution up and running in about a week and fully implemented it in less than a month.

The solution solved two critical problems:

1. Compliance: NordLayer’s Business VPN provided the secure network access required for SOC 2 certification.
2. Security: A server with a dedicated IP address enabled IP allowlisting of one dedicated IP and secured Taxcel’s SQL server with a firewall rule.

Benefit 1: SOC 2 compliance as a competitive edge for winning major clients

With NordLayer’s Business VPN in place, Taxcel was able to meet the private networking requirements for the SOC 2 Type 2 audit. The direct result was immediate: more deals.

Many local Taxcel competitors lag in compliance, giving the company a clear competitive edge. Passing client security questionnaires opened doors to high‑value contracts with global clients.

Benefit 2: Centralized security and 20+ admin hours saved monthly

Before NordLayer, Bruno, Taxcel’s security officer, spent nearly every day battling a risky, manual process: adding and removing employee IP addresses in Azure just to keep the SQL server accessible for remote staff.

Now, with NordLayer's Dedicated IP and firewall rule in place, the SQL server is secured, and the process is fully automated. Taxcel’s security officer can enforce the always-on VPN policy for the team, reducing manual work.

Results: 30 new enterprise clients and SOC 2 compliance

By adopting NordLayer, Taxcel delivered measurable, high‑stakes outcomes:

• 30+ new clients: SOC 2 compliance gave Taxcel the credibility to win big contracts
• SOC 2 Type 2 certification and ISO 27001 certification in progress
• SQL server secured by IP allowlisting a single, dedicated IP address and a firewall rule
• Easy team adoption: Business VPN use is enforced across all 33 employees

Why NordLayer Works for Taxcel

For a fast‑scaling company, NordLayer was the ideal enterprise‑grade solution without the enterprise‑grade pricing.
It delivered:

• Fast setup
• SOC 2 Type 2 compliance support
• IT hour savings
• Enhanced security

Pro cybersecurity tips from Taxcel

Leonardo Souza offers three practical tips for companies, especially in Brazil, looking to upgrade their security and win bigger clients:

1. Hire a dedicated security person: “Having a security specialist on board is very important. It was what helped us to step up.”
2. Protect your network: “Get a good security solution. Protect your network and you’ll definitely save yourself from some big headaches.”
3. Secure your remote team: “You can’t know for sure where your employee is connecting from, so having a private network gets you confident that your data is secured.”

Conclusion: From a start-up to an enterprise partner with NordLayer

Taxcel’s transformation proves that with the right security solution, even a growing start‑up can compete—and win—at an enterprise level.

Your business could be next.