Software developed to aid in audits is called compliance software. Smaller businesses often find themselves in an awkward position. Before they can begin implementing their SOC 2 controls they must first install, configure, and learn an extensive compliance platform. This brings up a fascinating question. What happens when the tool which is intended to lower compliance, turn into a separate task?
CertAssist resulted from that frustration. The founders of the company focused on compliance implementations, audits and ISO 27001 frameworks. They discovered platforms that had many functions and integrations, yet firms were still using spreadsheets for the most important aspects of audit preparation. More simple SOC 2 compliance software is sometimes the best solution for smaller organizations.
Begin by identifying the task that Must Be Completed
Remove the terms used in software and the fundamental requirement will become easier to understand. It is important that businesses be aware of the Trust Services Criteria. This involves establishing appropriate controls, collecting evidence, tracking progress and documenting policies. Platforms can be used to manage these tasks without having to connect them to each cloud service or identity system used by the company.
Automated integrations are extremely beneficial. Automating can save a large business a lot of time in collecting evidence in a constantly changing environment. However, that doesn’t make the same architecture required for SOC 2 for startups. If a startup is operating in limited technology resources, it may be preferable to create evidence by hand and avoid integrating too many systems.
The cost of auditing and that of the software are two different expenses
When businesses treat all compliance expenses as a single number, budgeting may become difficult. The SOC 2 cost includes more than software. Internal staff members must devote time creating policies, addressing any gaps in control, arranging evidence and working with auditors. The independent audit also comes with its own fee.
Companies looking into SOC 2 Certification Cost must be aware of the differentiating the two: SOC 2 is not a certificate in the sense of ISO 27001. Instead, it provides an independent attestation instead of an ordinary certification. When businesses are looking for pricing, they often refer to the cost as “certification costs”. Whatever term is employed in a budget, software cannot replace an independent audit.
The Middle Ground Doesn’t Have to Be a Spreadsheet
Spreadsheets may be familiar and cheap, but they can become a source of discomfort when multiple spreadsheets are used for communication of policies, control evidence, ownership, and audit information.
Alternatives to enterprise platforms do not necessarily have to be costly. CertAssist provides the SOC 2 controls on a centralized board, and offers editable template templates for policy and evidence as well as progress management and auditing access that is read-only. Access to the platform is protected by an authentication process that requires multi-factor. The initial price for the platform is $225 monthly. The regular price is $375 monthly or $3999 per year.
In addition, no integration could mean less exposure
CertAssist intentionally does not connect to the systems that run a company. The evidence is presented without granting the compliance platform a permanent access to identity and cloud environments.
This option is not without its pitfalls. The business must present evidence that could have been obtained from an automated system. For a small team however, the extra manual labor may be acceptable to facilitate setting up, lower costs for software, and fewer third-party connections.
If Complexity solves a problem, buy It
An expanding company could eventually arrive at a point when manual evidence collection will become inefficient. The cost of continuous monitoring and integration can be justified by the improved efficiency.
It’s not necessary to buy the most complex compliance platform up to the point of. It’s about getting the compliance task organized, maintain solid evidence, and make the independent audit manageable. A well-designed software system should simplify the process. If the process of implementing the compliance tool feels like it’s taking longer than preparing for SOC 2 in itself, then the tool may be overkill.