Software that facilitates audits is called compliance software. However, small businesses may be in a difficult situation: before they are able to set up their SOC 2 controls, they first have to implement the system, set up, and then learn the intricate compliance platform. This leads to a pertinent question. When does a tool to decrease compliance work transform into the creation of a new project?
CertAssist was born out of this frustration. CertAssist’s founders were familiar with compliance audits and implementations of ISO 27001 and SOC 2 frameworks. The creators of this software had to contend with platforms with a variety of options and integrations, while their employers still used spreadsheets to prepare crucial audit documents. For smaller businesses, a less complicated SOC 2 compliance software can occasionally be the best solution.
Begin by listing the Tasks That Have to be completed
Get rid of the software jargon, and it becomes easier to understand. A company needs to work through the pertinent Trust Services Criteria, establish the appropriate controls, establish policies, gather evidence, keep track of progress and make that material available for audits conducted by an independent entity. Platforms can be used to manage these processes without needing to connect them to every cloud service or identity system used by the company.
Automated integrations can be extremely useful. A large-scale organization that is collecting evidence from a continuously changing environment may save significant time via automation. That doesn’t automatically make the same architecture necessary for SOC 2 for startups. A startup with a relatively smaller technology infrastructure may choose to provide evidence manually and avoid the hassle of maintaining multiple integrations.
The Audit and Software are Two Different Costs
It can be confusing to budget when businesses take every compliance expense as one number. SOC 2 includes more than only software. The internal staff is required to dedicate time to the following: preparing policies and addressing gaps in control. They also arrange evidence. The audit independent also has its own cost.
In researching SOC 2 cost, businesses should be aware fundamental distinction in terminology. SOC 2 produces a report that is independent and not a formal certification as defined by ISO 27001. However, “certification cost” is often used by businesses searching for pricing information. No matter what terminology is employed in a budget, the software is not a substitute for an independent audit.
The Middle Ground Doesn’t have to be A Spreadsheet
Spreadsheets are cheap and easy to use, but they become awkward when policies, controls, evidence, ownership and auditing communications start to be spread across many documents.
Alternatives to enterprise-grade platforms do not necessarily need to cost a lot. CertAssist puts the SOC 2 controls on a central board that can be edited templates for policies and evidence as well as progress management and auditor access with read-only. The platform’s access is protected by a multi-factor authentication requirement. The launch price stated at $225 will be then followed by regular pricing of $375 per month, or $3,999 per year.
The same integration that reduces exposure is also possible by eliminating the need for it
CertAssist does not intentionally connect with a company’s operating systems. Evidence is presented, but without granting the platform with access to cloud environments and identities environments.
This approach is not without its tradeoffs. It is the obligation for the company to supply proof that could have been automatically collected. For smaller teams, the extra work could be justified in exchange by a more simple setup and lower costs for software and less external connections.
Buy Complexity When Complexity Solves a problem
An expanding company may arrive at a point where the manual process of gathering evidence becomes inefficient. This is when continuous monitoring and extensive integrations could pay their cost.
For now, the aim isn’t to buy the most advanced compliance system available. It’s important to make sure that the evidence is reliable and to organize compliance work, and manage the independent audit. The best software will remove any friction from that process. Implementing the compliance platform might feel more like a project as opposed to preparing the SOC 2 itself. It might be that the company does not need the same tools.