Software designed to facilitate audits is called compliance software. Smaller companies often find themselves stuck in an awkward situation. Before they are able to implement their SOC 2 controls they must first install, configure and learn a complex compliance system. This raises an interesting question. When does a tool to make compliance easier turn into an entirely new project?
CertAssist was conceived out of this frustration. Its creators had worked on compliance implementations and audits across SOC 2, ISO 27001, and other frameworks. They found platforms with a wide range of integrations and features, but companies used spreadsheets for the main components of preparation for audits. For smaller organizations, simpler SOC 2 compliance software can sometimes be the more practical option.
Begin by listing the Tasks That Must Be Completed
Eliminate the terminology used by software and the primary requirement becomes easier to comprehend. It is important that companies understand the Trust Services Criteria. This involves establishing the right controls, gathering evidence, tracking the progress of the process and establishing the policies. Platforms are able to manage these tasks without having to be connected to the various identity or cloud-based services that companies utilize.
Automated integrations can be extremely useful. Automation can save a huge company a lot of time in collecting evidence in a changing environment. It doesn’t necessarily mean the same technology is required to be used for SOC 2 by startups. A startup that has a limited technology environment might choose to do the evidence themselves and avoid the hassle of maintaining multiple integrations.
The Audit and Software are different expenses
Budgeting can be difficult if companies consider each compliance expense a separate number. The SOC 2 cost includes more than software. Internal staff are busy preparing policies, addressing the issues with control, arranging evidence, and working with the auditor. Independent audits have their 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. When businesses are looking for pricing, they usually use the term “certification cost”. Whatever the terminology used in a budget, the software does not replace the independent audit.
Middle Ground Doesn’t Need to be a Spreadsheet
Spreadsheets can be inexpensive and easy to access They are easy to use, but they can become a little awkward when controls, policies, ownership evidence, and auditing communication start spreading across multiple files.
The alternative doesn’t need be a enterprise-level platform. CertAssist places the SOC 2 controls on a central board that can be edited templates for policy and evidence, progress management, and auditing access that is read-only. Multi-factor authentication is necessary for security purposes to ensure the system is secure. 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 system that minimizes exposure can also be achieved by eliminating the need for it
CertAssist does not intend to connect to an organization’s operating system. The platform for compliance isn’t provided access to the cloud or the identity system.
This strategy is not without its tradeoffs. The business must present evidence that could have been obtained by an automated system. In the case of a small group However, the added manual work may be reasonable in exchange for a simpler set-up, lower cost of software and less connections to third party sources.
If Complexity is the answer to a problem, purchase It
In a growing organization the manual process of collecting evidence may become inefficient. The expense of continuous monitoring and integration can be justified by the increased efficiency.
The objective of the compliance stack isn’t to be the most sophisticated one that is available. It is important to ensure that the evidence is credible as well as organize the compliance tasks, and manage the audit independently. A well-designed software system should simplify the process. If the process of implementing the compliance platform seems like it takes longer than preparing for SOC 2 in itself, it could not be enough.