Software developed to aid in audits is referred to as compliance software. However, small businesses may be placed in a tough spot. They need to set up an, configure and maintain the platform for compliance prior to organising their SOC 2 control. It raises a good question. When does the tool designed to reduce compliance become a separate project on 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 program’s creators were constantly confronted by platforms that offered a wide range of options and integrations, while the organizations they worked for utilized spreadsheets to create critical auditing pieces. For smaller organizations, simpler SOC 2 compliance software can sometimes be the more practical answer.

Begin with the job that has to be accomplished

If you can eliminate the language used by software it will be much easier to understand. The company should work through Trust Services Criteria and establish adequate control measures. They must also create policies, gather evidence, track their progress, and make this material available for independent auditors. A platform can organize those activities without necessarily connecting itself to every cloud service or identity system that the firm uses.

Integrations that are automated can be extremely valuable. A large-scale organization that is collecting evidence from a continuously changing environment can significantly cut down on time with automation. However, this doesn’t mean the same system is needed to be used for SOC 2 in startups. Startups with a compact technology environment might prefer to collect evidence manually instead of maintaining numerous integrations.

Both the Software and Audit are two different costs.

Budgeting becomes a mess when companies 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 management, arranging the evidence as well as cooperating with auditors. Independent audits have their own fees.

Companies who are researching SOC 2 certification costs must also be aware of the distinction in terminology: SOC 2 produces an independent attestation report rather than an official certification in the same terms as ISO 27001. ISO 27001. However the phrase “certification cost” is commonly employed by businesses looking for pricing information, is nevertheless widely used. Software is not a substitute for the independent auditor regardless of the language employed within the budget.

The Middle Ground Doesn’t have to be an Excel Spreadsheet

Spreadsheets can be inexpensive and easy to access, but they become awkward when the policies, controls, ownership evidence, and auditing communication start spreading across many files.

Alternatives to enterprise-grade platforms do not necessarily need to cost a lot. CertAssist centralizes SOC2 controls and lets you edit policies and templates for proving. It also gives auditors with progress management as well as access that is read-only. Multi-factor authentication is required to protect the platform. The advertised launch price of $225 will be then followed by regular pricing of $375 per month, or $3,999 annually.

In addition, no integration could mean A Less Exposed

CertAssist intentionally does not connect to the systems that run a company. The evidence is presented without giving the compliance platform access to cloud environments or the identity environment.

That approach involves a tradeoff. The company must provide evidence that could have been obtained through an automated system. In the case of a small group however, the manual work could be justified as a way to get a more simple set-up, lower cost of software, and fewer third-party connections.

If Complexity is the answer to a problem, purchase It

A growing company could eventually arrive at a point where manual evidence gathering becomes inefficient. Continuous monitoring and massive integrations will pay off when you reach that point.

The purpose of the compliance stack isn’t to be the most technological one in the market. It’s to get the compliance work organised, keep the credibility of evidence and allow for an independent audit to be managed. A good software program 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 overkill.