Compliance software is intended to facilitate audits. But small-sized companies may be caught in a tense situation. Before they can manage their SOC 2 controls, they must first implement or configure the intricacy of a compliance system. This raises an interesting question. When does the tool that is designed to reduce compliance, become a separate program?
CertAssist grew out of that frustration. The team behind it had been involved in compliance audits and implementations in SOC 2, ISO 27001 and various frameworks. The program’s creators had to contend with platforms that came with many features and integrations, while the organizations they worked for employed spreadsheets for the preparation of important audit components. For smaller businesses, a less complicated SOC 2 compliance software can occasionally be the best solution.
Begin with the job you need to complete
Get rid of the software jargon, and it is more understandable. A company needs to work through the pertinent Trust Services Criteria, establish the appropriate controls, establish policies, record evidence, track progress, and make the material accessible for independent audit. A platform can organize those tasks without having to connect to every cloud-based service or identity system that the business uses.
Automated integrations can be extremely valuable. Automating the collection of evidence for large organizations in a world which is always changing can make it easier to save time. That doesn’t automatically make the same architecture necessary for SOC 2 for startups. Startups operating in a smaller technology infrastructure might prefer to gather evidence by hand instead of managing a number of integrations.
The cost for the audit and the software are two separate expenses
When companies treat all compliance costs in one number, budgeting can become unclear. SOC 2 includes more than only software. The internal staff has to devote time preparing policies, addressing gaps in control, organizing evidence and working with auditors. The independent audit comes with its own fees as well.
Companies looking into SOC 2 Certification Costs should be aware of the differences: SOC 2 is not a certificate in the sense of ISO 27001. Instead, it produces an independent attestation, not a standard certification. When companies are searching for pricing, they usually use the term “certification cost”. Whatever terms are used in the budget, software doesn’t take the place of an independent auditor.
The Middle Ground Doesn’t Have to be an Excel Spreadsheet
Spreadsheets are cheap and easy to use But they aren’t as easy when controls, policies, evidence, ownership, and auditing communication start spreading across many documents.
The alternative doesn’t need be a platform for enterprise. CertAssist displays the SOC 2 controls on an integrated board. It also includes editable templates to govern policies and evidence, along with progress tracking, and auditors will only see. Access to the platform is protected by the requirement for multi-factor authentication. Its stated launch price is $225 per month and the regular price is $375 per month or $3,999 annually.
A lack of integration could also mean less exposure
CertAssist does not purposely connect to an organization’s operating system. Evidence is presented, but without granting the compliance platform access to cloud environments or identity environments.
The method is a compromise. The company must provide evidence that could have been gathered from the automated system. If the team is small however, the extra manual labor may be acceptable to facilitate installation, less software cost and less third-party connections.
Buy Complexity When Complexity Solves a problem
A growing company may eventually come to a point that the manual method of gathering evidence can become unproductive. That’s when continuous monitoring and extensive integrations can earn their cost.
It is not necessary to buy the most complicated compliance stack until later. The aim is to arrange compliance, maintain credible evidence and manage independent audits. A well-designed software system should help in reducing the friction. Implementing the compliance platform might seem more like a task rather than preparing the SOC 2 itself. It could be that the company is not using numerous tools.
