A software for compliance should simplify auditing. However, small-sized businesses are put in a precarious position. They have to implement an, configure and maintain the platform for compliance prior to organising their SOC 2 control. This leads to a crucial question. What are the conditions that make a tool to reduce compliance work turn into an entirely new project?

CertAssist is the result of this anger. CertAssist’s creators had experience with compliance audits and implementations in ISO 27001 and SOC 2 frameworks. They encountered numerous platforms with features and integrations. Moreover, companies were still using spreadsheets to manage crucial aspects of audit preparation. For smaller organizations, simpler SOC 2 compliance software can sometimes be the more practical answer.

Begin by listing the Tasks That Need to Be Done

Remove the terms used in software and the core requirement becomes simpler to comprehend. It is vital that a company understand the Trust Services Criteria. This involves setting up appropriate controls, collecting evidence, keeping track of progress and documenting the policies. Platforms can manage these activities without needing to be connected to all cloud services or identity systems that a company utilizes.

Automated integrations can be beneficial. Automation can save a huge organization a lot of time when collecting evidence in a changing environment. However, this doesn’t mean the same technology is required to be used for SOC 2 in startups. If a startup has a small technology environment, it may be preferable to provide the evidence manually and avoid integrating too many systems.

Both the Software and Audit are different expenses

Budgeting becomes a mess when companies treat every compliance expense as one number. SOC 2 costs include more than just software. Internal staff members are required to devote time to the following: preparing policies and fixing control gaps. They also collect evidence. Independent audits are also charged their own fees.

Companies researching SOC 2 certification cost must also be aware of the distinction in terminology: SOC 2 produces an independent attestation report instead of a certification in the same sense as ISO 27001. But, “certification cost” is frequently used by companies searching for pricing data. Software cannot replace the independent auditor irrespective of the terms used within the budget.

The Middle Ground isn’t required to be a Spreadsheet

Spreadsheets can be a familiar tool and affordable, however they can be uncomfortable when multiple spreadsheets are used for communication of policies, control ownership, evidence, ownership and audit information.

Alternatives to enterprise platforms don’t necessarily have to be expensive. CertAssist puts the SOC 2 controls on a centralized board and provides editable template templates for policy and evidence along with progress management, as well as auditor access with read-only. A mandatory multi-factor authentication system helps secure access to the system. The initial price for the platform is $225 monthly. Regular pricing is $375 per month, or $3999 annually.

The same integration that reduces exposure can be accomplished by removing the need for it.

CertAssist intentionally does not connect to the operational systems of a company. The compliance platform isn’t provided access to the cloud or the identity environment.

The trade-off is that this method requires an agreement. It is the obligation of the company to provide evidence which could have been automatically collected. If you have a small staff However, the added manual work may be reasonable as a way to get a more simple installation, less software cost and less connections to third party sources.

If Complexity Solves a Problem, Purchase It

A growing company could eventually arrive at a point where manual evidence gathering becomes inefficient. Continuous monitoring and extensive integrations will pay off once you have reached that point.

The aim of a compliance stack isn’t to be the most advanced one available. The goal is to streamline compliance, keep credible evidence and allow independent audits to be managed. A good software program should reduce friction in this process. Implementing the compliance platform might feel more like a project rather than preparing the SOC 2 itself. It could be that a company is not using as many tools.