A software for compliance should simplify auditing. However, small businesses may be put in a difficult position. They need to set up the configuration, set up and manage a compliance platform prior to organising their SOC 2 control. This raises an interesting question. What is the point at which a tool that can make compliance easier turn into an entirely new venture?

CertAssist developed out of this frustration. The team behind it worked on compliance implementations, audits, and ISO 27001 frameworks. The people who developed this software faced numerous challenges with platforms that offered a wide range of features and integrations, while their employers still used spreadsheets to prepare critical auditing pieces. More simple SOC 2 compliance software is sometimes the best solution for smaller organizations.

Begin by identifying the job you need to complete

Get rid of the software jargon, and it is simpler to comprehend. It is important that a company understand the Trust Services Criteria. This includes setting proper controls, obtaining evidence, evaluating progress, and recording policies. Platforms can manage these tasks without having to connect to every cloud service or identity system the company uses.

Automated integrations definitely have value. A large company that gathers evidence in a constantly evolving environment can significantly cut down on time through automation. That doesn’t automatically make the same architecture necessary for SOC 2 for startups. Startups with a compact technology environment may prefer to collect evidence manually instead of maintaining numerous integrations.

The Software and the Audit are distinct expenses

The process of budgeting is a challenge when businesses consider each compliance expense distinct numbers. SOC 2 costs include more than software. The internal staff has to devote time on preparing policies, fixing gaps in control, organizing evidence and working with auditors. The independent audit comes with its own fee as well.

Companies looking into SOC 2 certification cost should also understand a terminology distinction: SOC 2 produces an independent attestation report, not a certification in the exact sense as ISO 27001. But, “certification cost” is typically used by businesses looking for pricing data. Software cannot replace the independent auditor regardless of the language employed in the budget.

The Middle Ground isn’t required to be a Spreadsheet

Spreadsheets are simple and easy to use, but they become awkward when policies, controls, evidence, ownership, and audit communication begin spreading across multiple documents.

It isn’t necessary to use an enterprise platform to serve as a alternative. CertAssist centralizes the SOC2 controls and lets you edit policies and templates for proving. It also gives auditors with progress management as well as read-only access. Multi-factor authentication is essential to safeguard the platform. Its advertised launch price is $225 monthly, and the regular price is $375 per month or $3,999 annually.

A lack of integration could also mean less exposure

CertAssist is not apposed to connecting with a company’s operating systems. Evidence is presented without granting the platform with access to cloud environments or the identity environment.

This option is not without its drawbacks. The evidence that could have been collected automatically must instead be provided by the business. If you have a small staff however, the extra manual work may be reasonable to facilitate installation, less software cost and less connections to third party sources.

If Complexity is the answer to a problem, purchase It

In a business that is expanding, manual evidence collection may be inefficient. Monitoring continuously and extensive integrations will pay their costs.

The objective of a compliance stack is not to be the most sophisticated one available. It’s to get the compliance work done, preserve reliable evidence, and allow for an independent audit to be managed. Software that is designed well will help with this. Implementing a compliance platform can be more of a challenge rather than the preparation of the SOC 2 itself. It could be that the company does not require as many tools.