Software that facilitates audits is known as compliance software. However, small businesses may be put in a tricky situation: before they are able to organize their SOC 2 controls, they need to first install an SOC 2 system, then configure and master an extensive compliance system. This leads to a pertinent question. What is the point at which the instrument designed to decrease compliance tasks become a new project of its own?
CertAssist is the result of this frustration. CertAssist’s creators had worked on compliance audits and implementations in ISO 27001 and SOC 2 frameworks. The creators of this software were constantly confronted by platforms that offered a wide range of options and integrations, while the companies they worked for still used spreadsheets to prepare important audit components. SOC 2 software that is simpler can be more suitable for smaller businesses.
Begin with the Tasks that Must Be Completed
If you take away the terminology used by software it is much easier to understand. The company needs to work through Trust Services Criteria and establish adequate control measures. They must also write down the policy, collect evidence, monitor their progress, as well as offer this documentation for independent auditors. Platforms are able to manage these processes without having to connect with all cloud services or identity systems a company utilizes.
Automated integrations are certainly beneficial. Automation can save a huge business a lot of time in collecting evidence in an ever-changing environment. But this doesn’t mean that exactly the same system is needed for SOC 2 in startups. If a startup operates in an insufficient technology environment it could be best to provide the evidence manually and avoid integrating too many systems.
Software and Audits Are different expenses
Budgeting becomes a mess when companies treat every compliance expense as one number. The SOC 2 cost includes more than software. Internal staff have to spend time preparing policies, addressing weaknesses in management, arranging the evidence as well as cooperating with auditors. Independent audits are also charged their own costs.
Businesses researching SOC 2 Certification Cost should be aware of the distinction: SOC 2 is not a certification in the sense of ISO 27001. Instead, it produces an independent attestation rather than an official certification. However the phrase “certification cost”, which is often employed by companies when looking for pricing information, is nevertheless widely used. Software cannot substitute for the independent auditor regardless of the language employed within the budget.
The Middle Ground Doesn’t Have to Be A Spreadsheet
Spreadsheets are often inexpensive and easy to use, but they become cumbersome when spread across multiple files.
The alternative doesn’t need to be an enterprise platform. CertAssist displays the SOC 2 controls on an integrated board. It also offers editable templates for policies and evidence, along with progress tracking, and auditors will only read. Multi-factor authentication is essential to protect the platform. The initial price for launch of $225 will be followed by regular pricing at $375 per month, or $3,999 per year.
A lack of integration could also mean less exposure
CertAssist intentionally doesn’t connect to any company’s operational systems. It provides evidence without giving the compliance platform a permanent access to cloud and identity environments.
The downside is that this strategy requires the use of compromise. It is the duty of the business to provide proof that could have been automatically collected. The additional manual work required is reasonable for a tiny team, but it will result in a simplified setup, a lower cost and less connections to third party.
Buy Complexity When Complexity Solves a problem
Growing companies may come to a point that manual evidence collection is no longer efficient. Continuous monitoring and extensive integrations will be beneficial when you reach that point.
The goal of the compliance stack isn’t to be the most technological one available. It’s to get the compliance tasks organised, keep credible evidence, and enable the independent audit to be manageable. A quality software application should make this process easier. If the implementation of the compliance platform seems like it’s taking longer than the preparation for SOC 2 in itself, it could be too much.