Software designed to facilitate audits is referred to as compliance software. But small businesses can be put in a difficult position. They need to set up or configure the platform for compliance before they can organize their SOC 2 control. That raises a useful question. At what point does the tool designed to reduce compliance become a separate initiative of its own?
CertAssist is the result of this discontent. Its creators had worked on compliance-related implementations and audits for SOC 2, ISO 27001, and other frameworks. The program’s creators were repeatedly confronted with platforms that came with many features and integrations, while the organizations they worked for employed spreadsheets for the preparation of crucial audit documents. For smaller organizations, simpler SOC 2 compliance software can sometimes be the more practical answer.
Start With the Job That Must Be Completed
Eliminate the terminology used by software and the essential requirement is easier to understand. The company must work through Trust Services Criteria and establish appropriate controls. They should also record policies, gather evidence, and track their performance, and provide this information to independent auditors. Platforms are able to handle these activities without needing to be connected to the various identity or cloud-based services the company uses.
Automated integrations can be beneficial. Automated integrations can save an company a lot of time while collecting evidence in a changing environment. It doesn’t necessarily mean the same technology is required for SOC 2 by startups. A startup that has a smaller technology infrastructure may choose to make evidence by hand and not maintain a multitude of integrations.
Both the Software and Audit are two different costs.
When businesses treat all compliance costs in one number, budgeting can become unclear. The SOC 2 cost includes more than just software. Internal staff members are required to dedicate time to making policies and addressing control gaps. They also arrange evidence. The audit independent also has its own fees.
When researching SOC 2 cost, businesses should be aware key terminology distinction. SOC 2 produces a report that is completely independent and not a certification as defined by ISO 27001. When companies are searching for pricing, they often employ the term “certification costs”. Software cannot substitute for an independent auditor, regardless of the terms used in the budget.
The Middle Ground Doesn’t have to be A Spreadsheet
Spreadsheets can be inexpensive and familiar but become unwieldy when they are spread across many files.
It isn’t necessary to use an enterprise platform for alternative. CertAssist displays the SOC 2 controls on a central board, allows you to edit templates for policies and evidence, as well as progress tracking, and auditors have the ability to only view. Access to the platform is secured with an authentication process that requires multi-factor. The platform’s launch price is $225 monthly. The regular price is $375 monthly or $3999 per year.
The same integration that reduces exposure can be accomplished by eliminating the need for it.
CertAssist deliberately does not connect to the systems that run the company. The platform for compliance isn’t allowed access to cloud or the identity environment.
That approach involves a tradeoff. It is the responsibility of the business to provide proof that could have been collected automatically. If you have a small staff, however, the additional manual work could be justified as a way to get a more simple set-up, lower cost of software as well as fewer connections with third parties.
Purchase Complexity when Complexity Solves the issue
An expanding company may reach the point where manual evidence gathering is no longer efficient. Continuous monitoring and extensive integrations will pay off when you get to that point.
For now, the aim isn’t necessarily to buy the most sophisticated compliance software available. It’s about getting the compliance task done, preserve credible evidence, and enable the independent audit to be manageable. Good software should remove friction from that process. If implementing the compliance platform is beginning to feel like a larger project than the process of preparing for SOC 2 itself, it might be just a different tools than the company needs.