Software that facilitates audits is referred to as compliance software. But small-sized companies may be put in a tricky position: before they can set up their SOC 2 controls, they must first implement or configure an elaborate compliance system. This brings up a fascinating question. What is the point at which the tool that was designed to ease compliance become a separate project on its own?
CertAssist grew out of that frustration. The founders of the company have worked on compliance implementations and audits, and ISO 27001 frameworks. The program’s creators were constantly confronted by platforms with a variety of functions and integrations. However, the companies they worked for employed spreadsheets for the preparation of important audit components. For smaller organizations, simpler SOC 2 compliance software can sometimes be the more practical answer.
Begin with the Tasks that Must Be Completed
Eliminate the jargon of software and it becomes easier to understand. It is essential that companies know the Trust Services Criteria. This involves establishing appropriate controls, collecting evidence, tracking progress and documenting policies. Platforms are a great way to manage these functions without having to connect them to every cloud service or identity system used by the company.
Integrations that are automated are extremely beneficial. Automated integrations can save an organization a lot of time when collecting evidence in a constantly changing environment. This doesn’t mean that the same technology will be required for SOC 2 by startups. A startup that has a limited technology environment might choose to make evidence by hand and avoid the need to maintain numerous integrations.
Both the Software and Audit are two different costs.
The process of budgeting can become confusing when companies treat every compliance expense as one number. SOC 2 costs include more than software. Internal staff have to spend time creating policies, fixing gaps in control, arranging proof as well as working with auditors. The independent audit also has its own fee.
Companies looking into SOC 2 certification cost should also understand a terminology distinction: SOC 2 produces an independent attestation report, not an actual certification in the same sense as ISO 27001. When companies seek pricing, they often utilize the term “certification cost”. Whatever the terminology used in the budget, the software is not a substitute for an independent audit.
The Middle Ground isn’t required to be a Spreadsheet
Spreadsheets are often familiar and cost-effective, but they can become a source of discomfort when multiple files are utilized to convey policies, control the ownership of evidence, prove ownership, and audit communications.
Alternatives to enterprise-grade platforms don’t necessarily have to be expensive. CertAssist displays the SOC 2 controls on one central display, and provides editable templates for policy and evidence, and progress tracking, and auditors have the ability to only read. Multi-factor authentication is mandatory to ensure access to the platform. The advertised launch price of $225 is and will be followed by a regular price of $375 per month, or $3,999 annually.
A lack of integration could also mean less exposure
CertAssist deliberately doesn’t connect to the systems that run a company. The compliance platform has not been granted access to the cloud or identity environment.
The drawback is that this approach requires the use of compromise. The company has to provide evidence that could have been obtained by the automated system. The manual effort is reasonable for a small team in exchange for a easier setup, less expense and less ties with third party.
Purchase Complexity When Complexity Solves the issue
Growing companies may reach a point at which manual evidence gathering is no longer efficient. The cost of continuous monitoring and integration is justified by the higher efficiency.
It is not necessary to buy the most complicated compliance stack until later. It’s essential to maintain the credibility of the evidence as well as organize the compliance tasks and oversee the audit independently. Good software should remove the friction from that process. If the application of the compliance tool feels like it is taking longer than the preparation for SOC 2 in itself, it could be overkill.