The purpose of compliance software is to make an audit easier. But small-sized companies may be put in a tricky situation: before they are able to set up their SOC 2 controls, they first must implement or configure an elaborate compliance platform. This brings up a fascinating question. When does the tool that was designed to ease compliance tasks become a new project on its own?
CertAssist is the product of this frustration. Its founders focused on compliance implementations, audits and ISO 27001 frameworks. They discovered platforms that had many options and integrations, however organizations used spreadsheets for the main components of preparation for audits. Simpler SOC 2 compliance software is sometimes the best solution for smaller organizations.
Start by identifying the tasks that Are Required to be Completed
Remove the terms used in software and the core requirement becomes simpler to comprehend. An organization must work through the pertinent Trust Services Criteria, establish appropriate controls, document guidelines, document evidence, track progress, and make the material accessible for audits conducted by an independent entity. Platforms can be used to streamline these activities without having to link them with each cloud service and identity system that the company uses.
Integrations that are automated offer a lot of value. Automated integrations can save an business a lot of time while collecting evidence in a changing environment. It doesn’t necessarily mean the same system is required for SOC 2 by startups. Startups that have a small technology environment might prefer to present evidence in person and avoid maintaining numerous integrations.
The Software and the Audit are separate expenses
It is difficult to budget when companies take each compliance expense as separate numbers. The SOC 2 cost includes more than software. Internal employees are involved in creating policies, addressing the issues with control, arranging evidence, and collaborating with the auditor. Independent audits also have its own cost.
Companies researching SOC 2 certification cost should also understand a terminology distinction: SOC 2 produces an independent attestation report rather than a certification in the same sense as ISO 27001. When companies seek pricing, they often use the term “certification costs”. Software cannot substitute for an independent auditor, irrespective of the language used within the budget.
The Middle Ground Doesn’t Need to Be A Spreadsheet
Spreadsheets can be a familiar tool and affordable, however they can become a source of discomfort when multiple files are used to convey policies, control the ownership of evidence, prove ownership, and audit information.
It is not necessary to use an enterprise platform for alternative. CertAssist centralizes the SOC2 control and provides editable policies as well as templates for proving. It also offers auditors and progress management with access that is read-only. The mandatory multi-factor authentication safeguards access to the platform. The platform’s launch price is $225 per month. The regular price is $375 per month or $3999 annually.
The absence of integration also means A Less Exposed
CertAssist intentionally does not connect to the operational systems of a company. The evidence provided is not given without giving the platform with standing access to identity and cloud environments.
This method involves a tradeoff. Evidence that could have been collected automatically must instead be provided by the business. If the team is small however, the extra manual work may be reasonable as a way to get a more simple setting up, lower costs for software, and fewer third-party connections.
If Complexity is the answer to a problem, purchase It
A growing company could eventually reach the point where the manual process of gathering evidence becomes inefficient. That’s when continuous monitoring and extensive integrations will pay their price.
It’s not necessary to buy the most complex compliance stack up to the point of. It’s to get the compliance task well-organized, provide reliable evidence, and enable the independent audit to be manageable. Good software should remove the friction from the process. Implementing a compliance platform can seem more like a task as opposed to preparing the SOC 2 itself. It might be that the company does not require the same tools.
