A compliance program should aid in auditing. Small businesses are usually in a difficult spot. Before they can put in their SOC 2 controls they must first install, configure and master an intricate software for compliance. That raises a useful question. At what point does the tool that was designed to ease compliance become a separate project of its own?

CertAssist was born out of the frustration. Its developers had worked on compliance audits and implementations in SOC 2, ISO 27001 as well as other frameworks. They found platforms with many integrations and features, but companies were still using spreadsheets for the main aspects of audit preparation. For smaller businesses, a less complicated SOC 2 compliance software can occasionally be the best solution.

Begin by identifying the task that Needs to Be Done

If you can eliminate the language used by software It becomes much simpler to understand. It is crucial that companies understand the Trust Services Criteria. This includes establishing appropriate controls, collecting evidence, monitoring the progress of the process and establishing policies. Platforms are a great way to manage these processes without needing to connect them to each cloud service or identity software that the company utilizes.

Automated integrations can be very valuable. Automation can save a large business a lot of time when it comes to collecting evidence in a constantly changing environment. That doesn’t automatically make the same architecture necessary for SOC 2 for startups. Startups with a limited technology environment may prefer to record evidence on their own instead of maintaining a multitude of integrations.

Both the Software and Audit are different expenses

Budgeting becomes a mess when companies make every compliance expense one number. The SOC 2 cost includes more than software. Internal employees are involved in making policies, addressing the issues with control, arranging evidence and working with the auditor. Independent audits have their own fees.

Companies looking into SOC 2 certification cost should be aware of a difference in terminology: SOC 2 produces an independent attestation report instead of an official certification in the same terms as ISO 27001. ISO 27001. If businesses are seeking pricing, they usually refer to the cost as “certification costs”. Whatever terminology is employed in a budget, the software cannot replace an independent audit.

The Middle Ground Doesn’t Have to Be a Spreadsheet

Spreadsheets are cheap and easy to use They are easy to use, but they can become a little awkward when controls, policies, ownership evidence, and auditing communications start to be spread across multiple documents.

Alternatives to enterprise platforms do not necessarily need to cost a lot. CertAssist shows the SOC 2 controls on the central board. It provides editable templates for policies and evidence, progress tracking, and auditors can only view. Access to the platform is secured with the requirement for multi-factor authentication. The initial price for launch of $225 is then followed by regular pricing of $375 per month, or $3,999 annually.

The absence of integration also means less exposure

CertAssist intentionally does not connect to the systems that run a business. Evidence is presented but does not grant the platform with access to cloud environments and identities environments.

The downside is that this option requires a compromise. It is the responsibility of the business to provide the evidence that could have been automatically collected. For smaller teams, the added work could be justified for a less complicated setup and lower costs for software and less external connections.

Buy Complexity when it solves the problem

In an organization that is growing the manual process of collecting evidence may be inefficient. Continuous monitoring and massive integrations will pay off at the point you are.

It’s not required to purchase the most complex compliance stack until later. It’s about getting the compliance task organized, maintain reliable evidence, and make the independent audit manageable. A well-designed software system should reduce friction in this process. The implementation of the compliance platform could feel more like a project rather than preparing the SOC 2 itself. It may be because the business doesn’t require more tools.