Software designed to facilitate audits is referred to as compliance software. However, small businesses may be put in a difficult position. They have to implement an, configure and maintain a compliance platform before they can organize their SOC 2 control. This raises an interesting question. What is the point at which a tool that can decrease compliance work transform into a new project?
CertAssist is the product of this frustration. Its founders had worked on compliance-related implementations and audits for SOC 2, ISO 27001, and other frameworks. They encountered numerous platforms with features and integrations while organizations still relied on spreadsheets for essential elements of audit preparation. For smaller companies, a simpler SOC 2 compliance software can occasionally be the best solution.
Begin by listing the Tasks That Have to be completed
Take away the software terms and the fundamental requirement will become simpler to comprehend. It is important that businesses be aware of the Trust Services Criteria. This involves setting up the right controls, gathering evidence, keeping track of progress, and recording policies. Platforms can be used to streamline these activities without having to link them with each cloud service or identity software that the company utilizes.
Automated integrations definitely have value. Automating can save a large organization a lot of time in collecting evidence in an ever-changing environment. This doesn’t mean that the same technology is required for SOC 2 in startups. If a startup operates in only a tiny technology infrastructure, it may be preferable to provide the evidence manually and avoid integrating too many systems.
The Software and the Audit are distinct expenses
Budgeting becomes a mess when companies treat every compliance expense as one number. SOC 2 costs include more than software. Internal employees are involved in preparing policies, addressing problems with control, organizing evidence, and working together with the auditor. Independent audits also have its own cost.
Companies researching SOC 2 certification cost should also understand a terminology distinction: SOC 2 produces an independent attestation report rather than a certification in the same sense as ISO 27001. When companies seek prices, they typically employ the term “certification costs”. Whatever language is used in the budget, software cannot take the place of an independent auditor.
The Middle Ground Doesn’t Have to be an Excel Spreadsheet
Spreadsheets can be inexpensive and familiar but become unwieldy when spread across multiple files.
It is not necessary to use an enterprise platform to serve as a substitute. CertAssist integrates the SOC 2 controls on a central board that can be edited templates for policies and evidence, progress management, and auditor access with read-only. Mandatory multi-factor authentication helps protect access to the system. The advertised launch price of $225 will be followed by regular pricing at $375 per month or $3,999 per year.
The same system that minimizes exposure can be accomplished by removing the need for it
CertAssist does not intend to connect with a company’s operating systems. The compliance platform isn’t allowed access to cloud or to the identity environment.
This method involves a tradeoff. It is the duty for the company to supply evidence that could have otherwise been automatically collected. In the case of a small group however, the manual labor may be acceptable to facilitate setup, lower software expense, and fewer third-party connections.
If Complexity solves a problem, buy It
In an organization that is growing, manual evidence collection may turn into inefficient. Monitoring and monitoring continuously and integration is justifiable by the increase in efficiency.
For now, the aim isn’t to buy the most advanced compliance system available. The goal is to organize the compliance process, collect evidence and allow independent audits to be managed. A quality software application should make this process easier. If the implementation of the compliance platform begins to appear like a more complex project than the process of preparing for SOC 2 itself, it may simply be more tool than the company currently needs.