A compliance program should simplify auditing. Small businesses are usually in a precarious position. Before they can begin implementing their SOC 2 controls they must first install, configure and learn an extensive platform for compliance. This brings up a question. When does a tool to make compliance easier turn into an entirely new venture?
CertAssist grew out of that frustration. The CertAssist founders had previous experience in 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 were still using spreadsheets to manage important pieces of the actual audit preparation. Simpler SOC 2 compliance software is often the best option for smaller businesses.
Start with the Tasks That Need to Be Done
Strip away the software terminology and the core requirement becomes simpler to comprehend. It is crucial that a company be aware of the Trust Services Criteria. This includes establishing appropriate controls, collecting evidence, keeping track of progress, and recording the policies. Platforms can handle these functions without having to be linked with all cloud services or identity systems that companies utilize.
Automated integrations can be beneficial. An organization that collects evidence in a constantly evolving environment could save significant time by automating. That doesn’t automatically make the same architecture necessary for SOC 2 for startups. Startups with a compact technology environment may prefer to record evidence on their own instead of maintaining numerous integrations.
The cost of an audit as well as the cost of the software are two separate expenses
Budgeting becomes confusing when companies make every compliance expense one number. SOC 2 costs include more than just software. Internal staff spend time making policies, addressing control gaps, organizing evidence and working with the auditor. Independent audits have their own fees.
Businesses looking for information about SOC 2 Certification Costs should also be aware of the differences: SOC 2 is not a certificate in the sense of ISO 27001. Instead, it creates an independent attestation instead of an ordinary certification. But, “certification cost” is commonly used when businesses search for pricing data. Whatever terminology is used in a budget, the software cannot replace an independent audit.
Middle Ground Doesn’t have to be A Spreadsheet
Spreadsheets are inexpensive and familiar But they aren’t as easy when policies, controls, ownership, evidence, and audit communications begin to spread across multiple files.
It is not necessary to use an enterprise-level platform as a substitute. CertAssist centralizes SOC2 controls and allows users to edit policies and templates for evidence. It also offers auditors and progress management with access to read-only. Multi-factor authentication is mandatory to ensure access to the system. The cost of the platform’s launch is $225 a month. The regular price is $375 per month or $3999 per year.
The same process that can reduce exposure can also be achieved through removing the need for it
CertAssist does not intentionally connect to an organization’s operating system. The evidence is presented without giving the compliance platform access to cloud environments and identity environments.
The downside is that this method requires the use of compromise. Evidence that could have been collected automatically must instead be provided by the company. The additional manual work is reasonable for a smaller team in exchange of a simpler setup, lower costs and fewer relationships with third party.
Purchase Complexity When Complexity Solves the issue
An expanding company may get to the point that manual evidence gathering is no longer efficient. The cost of continuous monitoring and integration is justified by the increased effectiveness.
The objective of the compliance stack isn’t to be the best one in the market. The goal is to streamline compliance, maintain credible evidence and allow independent audits to be managed. Good software should remove friction from that process. If the implementation of the compliance platform starts to seem like a bigger project than the process of preparing for SOC 2 itself, it may be simply a more powerful tools than the company needs.