Software for compliance is designed aid in audits. However, small companies can be put in a difficult position. They must set up an, configure and maintain a compliance platform before they can organize their SOC 2 control. This leads to a crucial question. At what point does the instrument designed to decrease compliance work become another project on its own?
CertAssist is the result of this anger. Its creators had worked on compliance implementations and audits across SOC 2, ISO 27001, and other frameworks. They found platforms with many integrations and features, but companies were still using spreadsheets to handle the most crucial aspects of audit preparation. For smaller organizations, simpler SOC 2 compliance software can sometimes be the more practical answer.
Start With the Job That Needs to Be Done
Remove the software jargon and it is simpler to comprehend. The company must work through the pertinent Trust Services Criteria, establish appropriate controls, document policies, record evidence, track progress, and then make that information available for audits conducted by an independent entity. A platform is able to manage those actions without needing to connect to every cloud-based service or identity system that the company uses.
Automated integrations are certainly beneficial. A large company that gathers evidence from a continuously changing environment can save time with automation. That doesn’t automatically make the same architecture necessary for SOC 2 for startups. If a startup operates in only a tiny technology infrastructure, it may be preferable to provide the evidence manually and not have a lot of integrations.
The Software and the Audit are distinct expenses
It can be confusing to budget when businesses take every compliance expense as one number. The SOC 2 cost includes more than software. Internal staff spend time preparing policies, addressing problems with control, organizing evidence, and collaborating together with the auditor. Independent audits also charge their own set of fees.
Companies who are researching SOC 2 Certification Cost must also be aware of the difference: SOC 2 is not a certification in the sense of ISO 27001. Instead, it provides an independent attestation, not the standard certification. However the phrase “certification cost” is commonly used by businesses when searching for price information, is still widely used. Whatever terms are used in the budget, software can’t take the place of an independent auditor.
The Middle Ground Doesn’t Have to be a Spreadsheet
Spreadsheets are often familiar and affordable, however they can be uncomfortable when multiple files are used to convey policies, control ownership, evidence, ownership and audit information.
The alternative doesn’t have to be a enterprise-level platform. CertAssist integrates the SOC 2 controls on a centralized board, which includes editable templates for policies and evidence including progress management and auditing access that is read-only. Access to the platform is secured with an authentication process that requires multi-factor. The initial price for the platform is $225 a month. Regular pricing is $375 per month, or $3999 per year.
The absence of integration also means less exposure
CertAssist deliberately doesn’t connect to an organization’s operational systems. The evidence is presented without granting the compliance platform access to identity and cloud environments.
The method is a compromise. The company must provide evidence that could have been obtained from an automated system. The manual effort is reasonable for a tiny team, but it will result in a more simple setup, lower cost and fewer connections with third party.
Purchase Complexity When Complexity Resolves the problem
A growing organization may eventually get to the point that manual evidence gathering becomes inefficient. The expense of continuous monitoring and integration can be justified by the increased effectiveness.
The aim of the compliance stack isn’t to be the most sophisticated one available. It’s to get the compliance tasks well-organized, provide solid evidence, and allow for an independent audit to be managed. A good software program should eliminate friction from this process. If the application of the compliance tool feels like it is taking longer than the preparation for SOC 2 in itself, then the tool might be too much.