A compliance software will make auditing easier. But small-sized companies may be caught in a tense situation. Before they can arrange their SOC 2 controls, they need to first install, configure, and learn the intricacy of a compliance platform. This poses a question. What happens when a tool designed to lower compliance work become the creation of a new project?
CertAssist is the result of this anger. Its creators focused on compliance implementations, audits, and ISO 27001 frameworks. They found platforms with many options and integrations, however companies used spreadsheets for the main aspects of audit preparation. For smaller businesses, a less complicated SOC 2 compliance software can at times be the most practical option.
Begin by listing the Tasks That Need to Be Done
Strip away the software terminology and the fundamental requirement will become easier to understand. It is essential that companies be aware of the Trust Services Criteria. This includes setting the right controls, gathering evidence, tracking the progress of the process and establishing policies. A platform can organize those processes without having to be connected to each cloud service or identity system that the business uses.
Automated integrations definitely have value. An organization that collects evidence from a continuously changing environment could save significant time with automation. That doesn’t automatically make the same architecture necessary to be used for SOC 2 for startups. Startups with a compact technology infrastructure might prefer to gather evidence by hand instead of maintaining numerous integrations.
The Software and the Audit are two different costs.
It is difficult to budget when companies treat each compliance expense as distinct numbers. The SOC 2 cost includes more than software. The internal staff has to dedicate time to creating policies and fixing control gaps. They also collect evidence. The audit independent also has its own fee.
When researching SOC 2 costs, businesses must be aware of one important distinction in terminology. SOC 2 produces a report that is independent, and not a certificate as defined by ISO 27001. When companies are searching for pricing, they often utilize the term “certification cost”. Software cannot replace the independent auditor regardless of the terminology employed in the budget.
The Middle Ground isn’t required to be an Excel Spreadsheet
Spreadsheets are simple and easy to use But they aren’t as easy when guidelines, controls ownership, evidence, and auditing communication start spreading across multiple files.
Alternatives to enterprise platforms don’t necessarily have to be costly. CertAssist centralizes the SOC2 control and offers editable policies and templates for evidence. It also offers auditing and progress management, as well as auditors with access only to read. Multi-factor authentication is required for security purposes to ensure the system is secure. The initial price for launch of $225 is then followed by regular pricing of $375 per month or $3,999 per year.
No integration can also mean less exposure
CertAssist intentionally doesn’t connect to the company’s operational systems. The compliance platform is not granted access to the cloud or to the identity environment.
This method has its pitfalls. Evidence that could have been taken automatically should instead be provided by the company. The additional manual work is reasonable for a smaller team in exchange of a simplified setup, a lower cost and less connections to third parties.
Purchase Complexity when Complexity Solves a Problem
A company that is growing may get to a point at which the manual method of gathering evidence becomes inefficient. That’s when continuous monitoring and extensive integrations could pay their price.
The goal of the compliance stack is not to be the most technological one on the market. It is important to ensure that the evidence is credible, organize the compliance work, and manage the independent audit. A good software program should help in reducing the friction. If the process of implementing the compliance platform feels like it’s taking longer than the preparation for SOC 2 in itself, the software may be too expensive.