The purpose of compliance software is to facilitate audits. But small-sized companies may find themselves in a strange situation. Before they can organize their SOC 2 controls, they first have to implement an SOC 2 system, then configure and master an extensive compliance system. It’s a great question. When will the tool intended to decrease compliance, become a separate program?
CertAssist was born out of the frustration. CertAssist’s creators had previous experience in compliance audits and implementations of ISO 27001 and SOC 2 frameworks. They found platforms with many integrations and features, but firms used spreadsheets to handle the most crucial parts of audit preparation. For smaller organizations, simpler SOC 2 compliance software can sometimes be the more practical answer.
Begin by identifying the task that Must Be Completed
If you eliminate the language used by software it will be much easier to understand. A business must go through the relevant Trust Services Criteria, establish adequate controls, write down policies, gather evidence, monitor progress, and then make that information available for independent audit. Platforms can be used to streamline these activities without having to link them with each cloud service and identity system that the company uses.
Automated integrations can be extremely valuable. A large-scale organization that is collecting evidence across a constantly changing environment can save time with automation. It doesn’t necessarily mean the same infrastructure essential to be used for SOC 2 for startups. Startups that have a small technology infrastructure might prefer to take evidence in a manual manner instead of managing a number of integrations.
The cost of the audit as well as the cost of the software are two distinct costs.
Budgeting becomes a mess when companies make every compliance expense one number. SOC 2 includes more than only software. Internal employees are involved in making policies, addressing problems with control, organizing evidence, and collaborating with the auditor. The independent audit also comes with its own cost.
Businesses researching SOC 2 Certification Costs must be aware of the terminology difference: SOC 2 is not a certification in the sense of ISO 27001. Instead, it provides an independent attestation, not an official certification. But, “certification cost” is commonly used when businesses search for pricing data. Whatever the terminology used in the budget, software can’t replace the independent auditor.
The Middle Ground Doesn’t have to be A Spreadsheet
Spreadsheets are often inexpensive and familiar, but they can become a hassle when they are spread over many files.
The alternative doesn’t need to be an enterprise platform. CertAssist centralizes the SOC2 controls and offers editable policies and templates for evidence. It also gives auditors with progress management as well as access to read-only. Multi-factor authentication is needed to safeguard the platform. The launch price stated at $225 will be and will be followed by a regular price of $375 per month or $3,999 per year.
The same kind of integration that decreases exposure is also possible through removing the need for it
CertAssist intentionally does not connect to the operational systems of a business. Evidence is presented, but without granting the compliance platform access to cloud environments or identity environments.
The method is a compromise. It is the duty of the company to provide evidence which could have been automatically collected. In the case of a small group however, the extra manual work could be justified as a way to get a more simple installation, less software cost and less connections to third party sources.
Purchase Complexity when it solves a Problem
An expanding company may reach the point where the manual process of gathering evidence is no longer efficient. The expense of continuous monitoring and integration is justified by the increased efficiency.
It is not required to purchase the most complex compliance platform until later. The goal is to organize compliance, preserve evidence that is credible and allow independent audits to be managed. Software that’s designed properly should make this process easier. Implementing the compliance platform might be more of a challenge as opposed to preparing the SOC 2 itself. It might be that the company does not need as many tools.