A compliance software should help auditing become easier. Yet small companies can be in a difficult position: before they can set up their SOC 2 controls, they need to first install the system, set up, and then learn the intricacy of a compliance platform. This raises an interesting question. At what point does the tool designed to reduce compliance tasks become a new project that is its own?
CertAssist grew out of that frustration. The team behind it worked on compliance implementations, audits, and ISO 27001 frameworks. They found platforms with many options and integrations, however businesses were still using spreadsheets for the primary components of preparation for audits. More simple SOC 2 compliance software is sometimes the best solution for smaller organizations.
Begin by identifying the job that has to be accomplished
If you take away the language used by software It becomes much simpler to understand. It is vital that businesses be aware of the Trust Services Criteria. This involves setting up adequate controls, gathering evidence, keeping track of progress, and recording policies. Platforms are able to handle these tasks without having to be connected to the various identity or cloud-based services the company uses.
Integrations that are automated are extremely beneficial. An organization that collects evidence across a constantly changing environment may save significant time by automating. It doesn’t mean that the same structure is required to be used for SOC 2 in startups. Startups that have a small technology environment may choose to gather evidence by hand instead of managing a number of integrations.
The cost for the audit and the software are two distinct expenses
It can be confusing to budget when businesses consider every compliance expense as one number. The SOC 2 cost includes more than software. The internal staff has to devote time in preparing policies, addressing any gaps in control, arranging evidence as well as cooperating with auditors. The audit independent also has its own fee.
When researching SOC 2 costs, businesses should be aware key terminology distinction. SOC 2 produces a report that is independent, and not a formal certification as defined by ISO 27001. However, “certification cost” is frequently used by companies searching for pricing information. Whatever the terminology used in the budget, software cannot substitute for the independent auditor.
The Middle Ground Doesn’t Need to Be A Spreadsheet
Spreadsheets are simple and easy to use But they aren’t as easy when policies, controls, ownership evidence, and audit communications begin to spread across multiple documents.
It is not necessary to utilize an enterprise platform as a substitute. CertAssist places the SOC 2 controls on a central board and provides editable policy and evidence templates, progress management, and auditor access with read-only. Multi-factor authentication is required to safeguard the platform. The price of the platform’s initial launch is $225 monthly. The regular price is $375 a month or $3999 annually.
In addition, no integration may mean less exposure
CertAssist does not intentionally connect with a company’s operating systems. The evidence is presented without giving the platform with access to cloud environments and the identity environment.
The trade-off is that this strategy requires the use of compromise. Evidence that could have easily been obtained automatically has to be supplied by the company. For a small team However, the added manual work could be justified to facilitate setup, lower software expense, and fewer third-party connections.
If Complexity Solves a Problem, Buy It
A growing organization may eventually reach the point where the manual process of gathering evidence becomes inefficient. Continuous monitoring and large-scale integrations will pay off when you get to that point.
It’s not necessary to buy the most complex compliance stack up to the point of. The objective is to manage compliance, preserve evidence that is credible and manage independent audits. The right software will help in reducing the friction. If the implementation of the compliance platform starts to appear like a more complex task than the preparation for SOC 2 itself, it could be a tools than the company requires.