There are few things more important in the current business climate than building and maintaining customer trust. To truly succeed, companies need to take a proactive approach to trust operations. TrustOps is a holistic approach to building trust with customers and stakeholders. And a big part of TrustOps is acquiring and maintaining trust assets, like security certifications, that prove an organization is trustworthy.

Read on to find out how you can leverage trust assets, and certifications specifically, to increase trust, boost your ROI, and expand your options on the market. 

Security certifications are an opportunity, not a hurdle

We understand that achieving SOC 2 or ISO 27001 compliance can feel like a hurdle you’re required to jump. And, it’s true that some certifications are required, either by your industry or the government, but certifications are more than that. They’re an opportunity to build trust, and thus revenue.

Also, certifications don’t have to be painful, despite what you might have heard in the past. Strike Graph was designed to make compliance and certifications easier to achieve. Our all-in-one compliance platform lets you go from start to certified without ever having to hire an old-fashioned auditing firm. 

But before we go into more detail about that, let’s cover exactly how security certifications work to build trust across several aspects of your business.

Why security certifications are the most effective trust assets

By obtaining a certification, your business demonstrates that it has implemented ongoing, robust, comprehensive security practices and protocols. In simpler terms, it shows customers they can trust you with their — or their customers’ — sensitive data.  

Since today’s consumers are rightly demanding more and more rigorous protection of their personal information, being able to prove your business is trustworthy is paramount. Sharing a SOC 2 attestation or ISO 27001 certification is the fastest way to let them know that your business is committed to protecting user data. 

Trust assets increase your revenue

Security certifications can be a differentiator in the market, helping your business to stand out from your competitors. Most mid-to-enterprise-sized companies will only do business with companies that can demonstrate compliance with industry-standard security frameworks. You might not even be able to have a meaningful conversation with some of these businesses unless your company is able to prove you’re certified. 

If you take a proactive approach to gaining trust assets — like widely valued certifications — then you’ll be in a position to take advantage of opportunities when they arise. And your competitors will still be playing catch up.

Trust assets are the pinnacle of transparency

We probably don’t need to explain to you the importance of authenticity and transparency in today’s business landscape. What you might not know is the range of tools that are available to help you communicate the details of your security program effectively to customers and stakeholders.

Certifications are a wonderful way to quickly communicate the robustness of your security posture. You’ll also want to make sure and support them with more detailed trust assets as well — like attestations and security reports. Strike Graph compiles these into a handy trust asset library so users can quickly choose the trust assets they need to strengthen any relationship.

How Strike Graph puts powerful trust assets within reach

Our goal at Strike Graph is to make sure every company has the tools they need to design, operate and certify a strong, trust-centered security program. Our platform walks you step by step through the process of risk assessment, control assignment, and evidence gathering, so you know you’re not wasting valuable time or resources. 

The best part is that you don’t have to leave the platform to lock in powerful trust assets. Our in-house assessment team works within the Strike Graph system to get you certified with far less cost and hassle than a traditional auditing firm. It’s truly an all-in-one solution.