Compliance software is intended to facilitate audits. However, small businesses may be in a difficult position: before they can set up their SOC 2 controls, they must first implement the system, set up, and then learn an extensive compliance platform. This raises an interesting question. What happens when a tool designed to make compliance easier turn into a new project?
CertAssist grew out of that frustration. Its creators had worked on compliance implementations and audits across SOC 2, ISO 27001 and various frameworks. They found platforms with a wide range of features and integrations, but companies 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.
Start with the Tasks That Are Required to be Completed
If you can eliminate the terms used in software it will be much easier to comprehend. It is crucial that businesses comprehend the Trust Services Criteria. This includes establishing the right controls, gathering evidence, evaluating progress and documenting the policies. Platforms are a great way to manage these functions without having to connect them to each cloud service and identity system that the company uses.
Automated integrations can be beneficial. A large-scale organization that is collecting evidence in a constantly evolving environment can significantly cut down on time by automating. However, that doesn’t make the same infrastructure mandatory to be used for SOC 2 for startups. If a startup has limited technology resources It may be more beneficial to provide the evidence manually and not have a lot of integrations.
The Software and the Audit are different expenses
If companies view all compliance costs as a single number, budgeting may become difficult. The SOC 2 cost includes more than software. The internal staff has to devote time to creating policies and addressing gaps in control. They also organize evidence. Independent audits have their own set of fees.
Companies who are researching SOC 2 certification cost should be aware of a distinction in terminology: SOC 2 produces an independent attestation report rather than a certification in the exact way as ISO 27001. ISO 27001. When companies are searching for pricing, they frequently employ the term “certification cost”. Whatever the terminology used in the budget, software does not substitute for the independent auditor.
The Middle Ground Doesn’t have to be an Excel Spreadsheet
Spreadsheets are often familiar and affordable, however they can become uncomfortable when multiple files are used for communication of policies, control evidence, ownership, and auditing communication.
It isn’t necessary to use an enterprise platform to serve as a substitute. CertAssist integrates the SOC 2 controls on a centralized board and provides editable template templates for policy and evidence including progress management and read-only auditor access. Multi-factor authentication is required to protect the platform. The stated price for the launch is $225 per month with a regular cost of $375 monthly or $3,999 annually.
In addition, no integration may mean less exposure
CertAssist does not purposely connect with the company’s operating systems. The evidence provided is not given without giving the platform with standing access to cloud and identity environments.
The approach is a compromise. Evidence that could have been obtained automatically has to be provided by the business. The extra manual work is reasonable for a tiny team in exchange of a more simple setup, lower cost and fewer connections with third parties.
Complexity Purchase when it Solves a Problem
Growing companies may reach a point where manual evidence collection is no longer efficient. Monitoring continuously and extensive integrations could pay their cost.
Until then, the goal isn’t buying the most sophisticated compliance stack available. The goal is to organize the compliance process, collect evidence and manage independent audits. A well-designed software should make this process easier. If the process of implementing the compliance tool feels like it takes longer than the preparation for SOC 2 in itself, then the tool might be overkill.