A compliance software should simplify auditing. Yet small companies can be put in a tricky situation. Before they can arrange their SOC 2 controls, they need to first install, configure, and learn the intricate compliance platform. This poses a question. What are the conditions that make a tool to decrease compliance work transform into a new project?
CertAssist is the result of this frustration. The team behind it had been involved in compliance and audits that were based on SOC 2, ISO 27001 as well as other frameworks. The developers of this software were constantly confronted by platforms that offered a wide range of options and integrations, while the organizations they worked for still used spreadsheets to prepare important audit pieces. For smaller organizations, simpler SOC 2 compliance software can sometimes be the more practical answer.
Start by identifying the tasks that Need to Be Done
Strip away the software terminology and the core requirement becomes easier to understand. It is essential for a company to understand the Trust Services Criteria. This involves establishing adequate controls, gathering evidence, evaluating progress and documenting the policies. Platforms can manage these actions without needing to connect to each cloud-based service or identity system the business uses.
Automated integrations are certainly beneficial. An organization that collects evidence from a continuously changing environment can significantly cut down on time through automation. But this doesn’t mean that exactly the same system is needed for SOC 2 in startups. Startups with a smaller technology infrastructure may choose to present evidence in person and avoid maintaining numerous integrations.
Both the Software and Audit are separate expenses
Budgeting becomes a mess when companies make every compliance expense one number. SOC 2 includes more than simply software. Internal staff are required to devote time to making policies and addressing control gaps. They also organize evidence. Independent audits have their own cost as well.
Businesses looking for information on SOC 2 certification costs should be aware of a distinction in terminology: SOC 2 produces an independent attestation report, not an actual certification in the same way as ISO 27001. However, “certification cost” is typically used by businesses looking for price information. Whatever the terminology used in the budget, software does not replace the independent auditor.
Middle Ground isn’t required to be a Spreadsheet
Spreadsheets are simple and easy to use But they aren’t as easy when the policies, controls, evidence, ownership, and audit communications begin to spread across many documents.
Alternatives to enterprise platforms do not necessarily have to be costly. CertAssist places the SOC 2 controls on a centralized board, which includes editable templates for policies and evidence including progress management and auditor access with read-only. Access to the platform is secured by an authentication process that requires multi-factor. The initial price for launch of $225 is and will be followed by a regular price of $375 per month or $3,999 per year.
The absence of integration also means less exposure
CertAssist intentionally doesn’t connect to the company’s operational systems. The evidence is presented without giving the compliance platform access to cloud environments as well as identity environments.
The downside is that this method requires an arrangement. It is the obligation of the company to provide the evidence that could have been automatically collected. If you have a small staff However, the added manual effort may be worth it as a way to get a more simple setup, lower software expense, and fewer third-party connections.
If Complexity solves a problem, buy It
An expanding company could eventually arrive at a point when manually capturing evidence is no longer efficient. Continuous monitoring and extensive integrations will pay off when you reach that point.
Until then, the goal isn’t buying the most advanced compliance stack available. It’s important to ensure that the evidence is credible and to organize compliance work, and manage the audit independently. Good software should remove the friction from this process. If the implementation of the compliance platform begins to feel like a larger project than preparing for SOC 2 itself, it may be simply a more powerful tool than what the business currently needs.