Compliance software is supposed aid in audits. However, small companies can be put in a difficult position. They must implement an, configure and maintain a compliance system prior to organising their SOC 2 control. This poses a question. What happens when the tool that is designed to reduce compliance, become a separate program?
CertAssist is the result of this anger. Its founders focused on compliance implementations, audits and ISO 27001 frameworks. They encountered numerous platforms with features and integrations. Moreover, companies were still using spreadsheets to manage important pieces of the actual audit preparation. The simpler SOC 2 compliance software is often the ideal solution for smaller enterprises.

Begin by listing the Tasks That Must Be Completed
If you take away the software terminology It becomes much simpler to understand. It is crucial that a company comprehend the Trust Services Criteria. This includes setting adequate controls, gathering evidence, tracking progress, and recording policies. Platforms can manage these activities without needing to be connected to the various identity or cloud-based services the company uses.
Automated integrations can be beneficial. Automating the collection of evidence by a large company in a world which is always changing can make it easier to save time. This doesn’t mean that the same structure will be needed for SOC 2 by startups. Startups with a limited technology environment may prefer to collect evidence manually instead of maintaining a multitude of integrations.
Software and Audits Are different expenses
Budgeting becomes difficult when companies consider each compliance expense an individual number. The SOC 2 cost includes more than software. Internal staff are busy developing policies, fixing control gaps, organizing evidence, and working with the auditor. The independent audit also has its own fee.
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 prices, they typically use the term “certification cost”. Software is not a substitute for an independent auditor, regardless of the language used within the budget.
Middle Ground isn’t required to be a Spreadsheet
Spreadsheets are inexpensive and familiar They are easy to use, but they can become a little awkward when the policies, controls, evidence, ownership, and auditing communication start spreading across multiple documents.
It is not required to use an enterprise platform as a alternative. CertAssist consolidates the SOC2 controls and offers editable policies and templates for proving. It also gives auditors with progress management as well as read-only access. Access to the platform is secured with an authentication process that requires multi-factor. The initial price for launch of $225 will be to be followed by regular pricing at $375 per month or $3,999 annually.
The same kind of integration that decreases exposure is also possible by removing the need for it
CertAssist does not intentionally connect to the operating systems of a company. The evidence is presented without granting the platform with standing access to cloud and identity environments.
The trade-off is that this approach requires an agreement. The business must present evidence which could have been captured using the automated system. In the case of a small group however, the extra manual work could be justified in exchange for simpler setup, lower software expense and less third-party connections.
Complexity Purchase when it Solves the issue
Growing companies may get to the point that manual evidence gathering is no longer efficient. That’s when continuous monitoring and extensive integrations could pay their costs.
The objective of the compliance stack isn’t to be the most sophisticated one in the market. The objective is to manage the compliance process, collect evidence and ensure that independent audits are managed. Good software should remove the friction from the process. If the application of the compliance platform seems like it is taking longer than preparing for SOC 2 in itself, the software may be overkill.