Compliance software is intended to help audits go more smoothly. Small companies are often in an awkward position. Before they can implement their SOC 2 controls they must first install, configure, and learn an intricate platform for compliance. This poses a question. What happens when the tool designed to improve compliance turn into a separate project?

CertAssist is the product of this frustration. The team behind it have worked on compliance implementations and audits as well as ISO 27001 frameworks. The developers of this software faced numerous challenges with platforms that came with many options and integrations, while the organizations they worked for utilized spreadsheets to create important audit components. For smaller companies, a simpler SOC 2 compliance software can sometimes be the more practical option.

Begin by identifying the task that Should Be Done

Eliminate the terminology used by software and the fundamental requirement will become simpler to comprehend. It is essential that companies comprehend the Trust Services Criteria. This involves setting up adequate controls, gathering evidence, evaluating progress, and recording policies. Platforms can handle these processes without having to be connected to all cloud services or identity systems a company utilizes.

Integrations that are automated can be very valuable. Automating the process of gathering evidence for large corporations in an environment that changes constantly can reduce time. That doesn’t automatically make the same architecture necessary for SOC 2 for startups. A startup that has a smaller technology infrastructure may choose to do the evidence themselves and not maintain a multitude of integrations.

Software and the Audit Are Different Expenses

Budgeting becomes difficult when companies treat each compliance expense as distinct numbers. SOC 2 includes more than simply software. The internal staff is required to spend time on things like preparing policies and addressing gaps in control. They also collect evidence. The independent audit has its own fee as well.

Companies looking into SOC 2 certification cost must be aware of a distinction in terminology: SOC 2 produces an independent attestation document, but not an actual certification in the same sense as ISO 27001. ISO 27001. But, “certification cost” is frequently used by companies searching for pricing information. Software cannot substitute for an independent auditor, irrespective of the language used in the budget.

Middle Ground Doesn’t Have 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.

The alternative does not have to be a business platform. CertAssist shows the SOC 2 controls on an integrated board. It also allows you to edit templates for policies and evidence, progress tracking, and auditors can only read. Access to the platform is secured with an authentication process that requires multi-factor. Its advertised launch price is $225 per month, with a price that is regular at $375 monthly or $3,999 annually.

The same integration that reduces exposure is also possible through removing the need for it.

CertAssist intentionally does not connect to the systems that run an organization. Evidence is provided without giving the compliance platform access to cloud or identity environments.

This method involves a tradeoff. The evidence that could have been obtained automatically has to be provided by the company. For smaller teams, the extra effort could be justified in exchange by a more simple setup with lower software expenses, and with fewer external connections.

Buy Complexity If Complexity Solves a Problem

If a company is growing that is growing, the manual collection of evidence could be inefficient. Continuous monitoring and extensive integrations may pay their price.

The goal until then isn’t necessarily to buy the most sophisticated compliance stack available. The goal is to streamline compliance, keep credible evidence and manage independent audits. Software that’s designed properly will make this process simpler. If the application of the compliance platform is a feeling that it is taking longer than preparing for SOC 2 in itself, then the tool may not be enough.