An Insider’s Guide to GRC Tools

Published on December 5, 2025 by Jacob Haskins in SOC Reports

The cybersecurity landscape is a complex world of acronyms, audits, and certifications. For service organizations, the SOC 2 report is a significant milestone, but achieving it can be a significant drain on time and resources. This is where Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) tools come in. These solutions try to automate and simplify the process, but not all GRC platforms are created equal.

The benefits of GRC tools in SOC engagement

GRC tools move organizations beyond regular/tedious spreadsheets and manual evidence collection, providing a more structured and efficient approach to compliance. Here’s how:

• Automation of manual tasks: The main benefit of a GRC platform is automation. Tools can automate evidence collection, continuous control monitoring, and task tracking, which saves a significant amount of manual effort. This automated approach is especially valuable during a SOC 2 Type 2 audit, which requires testing to support the operating effectiveness of controls over a period of time.
• Centralized management: GRC platforms offer a unified dashboard that streamlines the management of policies, controls, and risk assessments. By centralizing these functions, they improve communication across departments and foster stronger cross-functional collaboration, ultimately driving a more integrated and effective compliance strategy.
• Enhanced audit readiness: With automated evidence collection and continuous monitoring, organizations can move from a reactive to a proactive state of audit readiness. The tools help maintain accurate, real-time audit trail, which makes the entire audit process faster and smoother for both your team and your external auditors.
• Improved risk management: GRC platforms offer robust features for risk identification, assessment, and mitigation. By providing a holistic, real-time view of your risk landscape, these tools enable better-informed decision-making and help you prioritize remediation efforts.
• Scalability: For fast-growing organizations, a scalable GRC solution is a necessity. The right platform can adapt to new regulations and support your growth into new markets or business units without requiring a complete overhaul.

Key players in the GRC space for SOC

When evaluating GRC tools, it’s helpful to understand the key players and their advertised strengths.

• Vanta: A popular choice known for its user-friendly interface and speed. Vanta emphasizes a fast path to SOC 2 compliance, leveraging extensive integrations and automation to simplify evidence collection and continuous control testing. Vanta is often praised for its strong customer support and helpful onboarding experience.
• Drata: positions itself as an enterprise-grade solution offering continuous monitoring, automated evidence collection, and support for multiple compliance frameworks. It is often preferred by more technical teams for its cleaner integrations with CI/CD pipelines and cloud infrastructure. Drata also highlights its AI capabilities for features like risk summarization and questionnaire assistance.
• Compliancy Group: While Compliancy Group is primarily known for HIPAA compliance, it is also a player in the broader GRC space. Its tools and services often focus on providing the policies, procedures, and guidance needed to manage regulations. Organizations should confirm if its platform offers the same depth of automation and continuous monitoring as audit-first platforms like Vanta and Drata, especially for SOC 2.

Choosing the right GRC tool

To make the most informed decision, consider these factors beyond a vendor’s marketing claims:

• Customization vs. off-the-shelf: Some tools offer quick, out-of-the-box templates for rapid setup. While this is great for speed, it may lack the flexibility to adapt to your unique business model or risk profile. Consider how much control you need over your specific compliance program.
• Integration ecosystem: A tool’s real power comes from its ability to integrate with your existing tech stack (e.g., cloud providers, HR platforms, ticketing systems). Ensure the integrations are robust enough to automate evidence collection and trigger actions, rather than just replicating data.
• Set and forget is a myth: While automation is a huge benefit, achieving and maintaining compliance requires continuous human oversight, strategy, and adaptation.
• Vendor and risk management: Many organizations underestimate the complexity of managing third-party risks during a SOC 2 engagement. Look for a solution that automates vendor assessments, tracks security posture, and helps you manage this extended risk landscape.
• Implementation and ongoing support: Consider the total cost of ownership, which includes onboarding, support, and maintenance. Investigate what level of customer support is available, as some vendors offer more hands-on guidance from dedicated Customer Success Managers and GRC advisors.

Modern GRC platforms are no longer a luxury but a strategic tool for organizations undergoing SOC engagements. By automating manual processes, centralizing controls, and providing continuous visibility, they can transform a resource-intensive audit into a streamlined, proactive security initiative.

By carefully evaluating a tool’s automation quality, customization, integration capabilities, and the vendor’s support model, you can select a GRC platform that not only helps you secure your SOC certification but also truly enhances your overall security posture.

The right tech helps, but the right partner ensures compliance

While GRC platforms can dramatically streamline and automate many aspects of the SOC engagement process, it’s important to remember that these tools cannot issue a SOC report. Completing a SOC engagement requires the expertise and independence of a qualified audit firm. The right technology is powerful, but the right partner makes all the difference.

Ready to simplify your SOC engagement?

If you’re considering a GRC tool or want to learn more about how these platforms can streamline your SOC 2 process, we’re here to help. Our SOC pros have deep experience with GRC solutions and SOC engagements, and we’re happy to help you determine whether a GRC tool is the right fit for your organization. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation.

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