A compliance software should aid in auditing. However, small companies can be put in a difficult position. They must set up an, configure and maintain the platform for compliance prior to organising their SOC 2 control. This brings up a fascinating question. What happens when a tool designed to lower compliance work become a new project?
CertAssist was born out of that frustration. The founders of the company have worked on compliance implementations and audits, and ISO 27001 frameworks. They found platforms with a wide range of features and integrations, but businesses were still using spreadsheets for the most important elements of preparation for audits. For smaller enterprises, simpler SOC 2 compliance software can often be the better option.
Begin with the job you need to complete
Eliminate the jargon of software and it is easier to understand. The company must work through Trust Services Criteria and establish appropriate control measures. They should also record the policy, collect evidence, and track their progress, and offer this documentation for independent auditors. Platforms can be used to manage these functions without having to connect them to every cloud service and identity system that the company uses.
Automated integrations have many benefits. Automating the collection of evidence by large corporations in a world that is constantly changing can help save time. It doesn’t necessarily mean the same architecture is required for SOC 2 by startups. Startups that have a limited technology environment might choose to make evidence by hand and avoid the hassle of maintaining multiple integrations.
The Audit and the Software Are Two Different Costs
The process of budgeting can become confusing when companies take every compliance expense as one number. The SOC 2 cost includes more than software. Internal staff members are required to dedicate time to things like preparing policies and addressing gaps in control. They also organize evidence. Independent audits also have their own set of fees.
In researching SOC 2 cost, businesses should be aware of a fundamental distinction in terminology. SOC 2 produces a report that is independent, and is not a certification as specified by ISO 27001. However, the phrase “certification cost” is frequently employed by businesses looking for price information, is nevertheless frequently used. Whatever terms are used in the budget, software does not substitute for the independent auditor.
The Middle Ground Doesn’t have to be an Excel Spreadsheet
Spreadsheets are often inexpensive and easy to use, but they become cumbersome when spread across several files.
It is not required to use an enterprise-level platform as a substitute. CertAssist provides the SOC 2 controls on a centralized board and provides editable policy and evidence templates along with progress management, as well as read-only auditor access. Multi-factor authentication is required for security purposes to ensure the system is secure. The initial price for the platform is $225 a month. Regular pricing is $375 a month or $3999 annually.
The absence of integration also means less exposure
CertAssist does not intentionally connect with the company’s operating systems. Evidence is presented but does not grant the compliance platform access to cloud environments or the identity environment.
The method is a compromise. It is the duty for the company to supply evidence which could have been automatically collected. For a small team however, the extra manual work may be reasonable to facilitate setup, lower software expense and less connections to third party sources.
If Complexity is the answer to a problem, purchase It
A company that is growing may come to a point that the manual method of gathering evidence can become unproductive. The expense of continuous monitoring and integration is justified by the higher effectiveness.
It’s not necessary to buy the most complex compliance stack until then. It’s to get the compliance work organised, keep credible evidence, and enable the independent audit to be manageable. Software that’s designed properly will make this process simpler. Implementing the compliance platform may seem more like a task than preparing the SOC 2 itself. It could be that the company does not need the same tools.
