A compliance program should help auditing become easier. Yet small companies can be caught in a tense situation. Before they can manage their SOC 2 controls, they first must implement an SOC 2 system, then configure and master an extensive compliance platform. This poses a question. When does the tool that was designed to ease compliance work become another initiative of its own?
CertAssist was created out of this discontent. The team behind it have worked on compliance implementations and audits as well as ISO 27001 frameworks. They frequently encountered platforms brimming with features and integrations while businesses still rely on spreadsheets for crucial elements of audit preparation. SOC 2 is simpler SOC 2 compliance software is sometimes the best solution for smaller organizations.
Begin with the Tasks that Have to be completed
Eliminate the terminology used by software and the essential requirement is more understandable. The company should work through Trust Services Criteria and establish the appropriate control measures. They must also write down policies, gather evidence, and track their progress, as well as making this information available to independent auditors. Platforms are able to handle these functions without having to connect with all cloud services or identity systems the company uses.
Automated integrations are certainly beneficial. Automation can save a large company a lot of time when collecting data in a dynamic environment. That doesn’t automatically make the same architecture necessary for SOC 2 for startups. If a startup operates in only a tiny technology infrastructure it could be best to create evidence by hand and not have a lot of integrations.
The cost for the audit and that of the software are two distinct expenses
It can be confusing to budget when businesses make every compliance expense one number. SOC 2 costs include more than software. The internal staff has to spend time on making policies and addressing gaps in control. They also arrange evidence. Independent audits also charge their own costs.
Businesses looking for information on SOC 2 certification costs must also understand a terminology distinction: SOC 2 produces an independent attestation report, not a certification in the exact way as ISO 27001. If businesses are seeking pricing, they frequently refer to the cost as “certification costs”. Whatever terminology appears in the budget, software doesn’t replace the independent auditor.
Middle Ground Doesn’t Have to be a Spreadsheet
Spreadsheets can be inexpensive and easy to access But they aren’t as easy when controls, policies, evidence, ownership and audit communications begin to spread across several files.
It is not required to use an enterprise platform for substitute. CertAssist integrates the SOC 2 controls on a centralized board that can be edited policy and evidence templates as well as progress management and read-only auditor access. Multi-factor authentication is essential to safeguard the platform. The stated price for the launch is $225 per month, with regular pricing of $375 monthly or $3,999 annually.
A lack of integration can also mean A Less Exposed
CertAssist deliberately doesn’t connect to the systems that run a business. The evidence provided is not given without giving the compliance platform a permanent access to cloud or identity environments.
That approach involves a tradeoff. Evidence that could have easily been captured automatically should be provided by the business. However, for small teams, the added work could be justified in exchange with a simple set-up as well as lower software costs and with fewer external connections.
Buy Complexity If Complexity Solves the problem
A growing company may eventually reach a point where manual evidence collection is no longer efficient. Monitoring continuously and extensive integrations will pay their cost.
Until then, the goal isn’t buying the most advanced compliance software available. It’s crucial to ensure that the evidence is credible and to organize compliance work as well as manage the audit independently. Software that is designed well can make this process much easier. If the implementation of the compliance platform starts to appear like a more complex project than the process of preparing for SOC 2 itself, it could be a tools than the company requires.