A compliance program should simplify auditing. Small businesses are usually in a precarious position. Before they are able to implement their SOC 2 controls they must first install, configure, and learn the complexities of a compliance system. This leads to a pertinent question. When did the device intended to decrease compliance, become a separate program?
CertAssist is the product of this frustration. Its creators focused on compliance implementations, audits, and ISO 27001 frameworks. They came across platforms that offered a variety of integrations and features, but companies were still using spreadsheets for the primary parts of audit preparation. Simpler SOC 2 compliance software is often the best option for smaller organizations.
Start with the Tasks That Are Required to be Completed
Remove the terms used in software and the essential requirement is more understandable. It is essential for a company to be aware of the Trust Services Criteria. This includes establishing adequate controls, gathering evidence, evaluating developments and documenting policies. Platforms are able to manage these functions without having to be connected with all cloud services or identity systems that a company utilizes.
Automated integrations can be very valuable. Automating the collection of evidence for large companies in a world that is constantly changing could save time. But this doesn’t mean that exactly the same technology is required to be used for SOC 2 in startups. Startups that have a compact technology environment may prefer to make evidence by hand and avoid the need to maintain numerous integrations.
Both the Software and Audit are different expenses
Budgeting becomes difficult when companies treat each compliance expense as a separate number. The SOC 2 cost includes more than just software. Internal staff spend time creating policies, addressing control gaps, organizing evidence, and working together with the auditor. The independent audit comes with its own set of fees.
Companies researching SOC 2 certification cost should also understand a terminology distinction: SOC 2 produces an independent attestation report rather than a certification in the same sense as ISO 27001. If businesses are seeking pricing, they frequently utilize the term “certification costs”. No matter what terminology is used in a budget, software is not a substitute for an independent audit.
The Middle Ground Doesn’t Have to Be an Excel Spreadsheet
Spreadsheets can be inexpensive and comfortable, but they are cumbersome when spread across multiple files.
The alternative doesn’t need to be a platform for enterprise. CertAssist puts the SOC 2 controls on a centralized board and provides editable templates for policies and evidence as well as progress management and read-only auditor access. Mandatory multi-factor authentication helps protect access to the system. The initial price for launch of $225 is and will be followed by a regular price of $375 per month or $3,999 per year.
The same integration that reduces exposure is also possible by eliminating the need for it.
CertAssist intentionally does not connect to a company’s operational systems. The platform for compliance isn’t allowed access to cloud or identity environment.
This method has its tradeoffs. The company must prove which could have been captured by an automated system. But for smaller teams, the extra effort could be justified by a more simple setup with lower software expenses, and with fewer external connections.
Buy Complexity If Complexity Solves a Problem
A growing company may eventually come to a point that the manual method of gathering evidence will become inefficient. The cost of continuous monitoring and integration could be justifiable by the increase in efficiency.
It is not required to purchase the most complicated compliance system up to the point of. It’s to get the compliance work well-organized, provide solid evidence, and enable the independent audit to be manageable. Software that’s designed properly will help with this. The implementation of the compliance platform could appear more like a job rather than preparing the SOC 2 itself. It may be because the business does not require numerous tools.