A software for compliance should aid in auditing. However, small-sized businesses are put in a precarious position. They need to set up the configuration, set up and manage a compliance platform before they can organise their SOC 2 control. This poses a question. When did the device intended to decrease compliance, become a separate program?
CertAssist was born out of that frustration. CertAssist’s creators had worked on compliance audits, as well as implementations under the ISO 27001 and SOC 2 frameworks. They repeatedly encountered platforms packed with integrations and features while organizations still rely on spreadsheets for crucial elements of preparation for audits. For smaller organizations, simpler SOC 2 compliance software can sometimes be the more practical answer.
Start with the task that needs to be done
Remove the terms used in software and the essential requirement is easier to comprehend. The company must work through Trust Services Criteria and establish adequate control measures. They should also record policies, collect evidence, keep track of their progress, as well as offer this documentation for independent auditors. Platforms can manage these actions without needing to connect to each cloud-based service or identity system the company operates.
Automated integrations definitely have value. Automating the gathering of evidence by a large company in a world which is always changing can make it easier to save time. It doesn’t necessarily mean the same infrastructure necessary for SOC 2 for startups. If a startup has a small technology environment it could be best to manually provide evidence and avoid having many integrations.
Both the Software and Audit are different expenses
When businesses treat all compliance costs as a single number, budgeting can become confusing. SOC 2 costs include more than software. Internal employees are involved in developing policies, fixing weaknesses in control, organizing evidence and collaborating together with the auditor. The independent audit also comes with its own fee.
Companies researching SOC 2 certification costs must be aware of a distinction in terminology: SOC 2 produces an independent attestation document, but not an official certification in the same way as ISO 27001. ISO 27001. However, the term “certification cost” is commonly employed by companies when looking for pricing details, is still frequently used. Whatever term is employed in a budget, software is not a substitute for an independent audit.
Middle Ground Doesn’t Have to be A Spreadsheet
Spreadsheets are often familiar and affordable, however they can be uncomfortable when multiple files are utilized to communicate policies, control, evidence, ownership and audit information.
It is not necessary to utilize an enterprise-level platform as a substitute. CertAssist shows the SOC 2 controls on one central display, and includes editable templates to govern policy and evidence, and progress tracking, and auditors will only read. A mandatory multi-factor authentication system helps secure access to the system. Its stated launch price is $225 monthly, with regular pricing of $375 per month or $3,999 annually.
The same kind of integration that decreases exposure can be accomplished without the need to it.
CertAssist is not designed to connect to the operational systems of an organization. The compliance platform is not granted access to the cloud or the identity system.
This method involves a tradeoff. The company must prove that could have been obtained using an automated system. For a small team however, the manual labor may be acceptable as a way to get a more simple setup, lower software expense as well as fewer connections with third parties.
Buy Complexity when it solves a Problem
In an organization that is growing that is growing, the manual collection of evidence could end up being inefficient. Continuous monitoring and extensive integrations will pay off when you get to that point.
It is not necessary to buy the most complex compliance stack at this point. It’s to get the compliance tasks done, preserve credible evidence, and allow for an independent audit to be managed. Good software should remove the friction from the process. Implementing a compliance platform can seem more like a task than preparing the SOC 2 itself. It could be that a company is not using the same tools.