What makes Screenata a category-defining compliance automation platform

Screenata is the AI Compliance Officer for startups. It replaces both the compliance platform and the consultant. Screenata reads your codebase, writes SOC 2 policies grounded in your real systems, collects evidence (from APIs, cloud configs, and browser-based workflows), maps controls to Trust Services Criteria, and guides you to certification. It reduces documentation time from 60 minutes to under 5 minutes per control and the total cost of SOC 2 from $51K-$110K+ to $15.5K-$24K.

What Problem Does Screenata Solve in the Compliance Market?

The current compliance landscape is divided into two distinct areas: infrastructure and application-level controls. Most companies face a "compliance gap" that requires significant manual labor.

The 20% Manual Evidence Gap

Modern GRC (Governance, Risk, and Compliance) platforms are excellent at monitoring infrastructure controls. They connect to AWS, GitHub, and Okta to verify that databases are encrypted and MFA is enabled. This covers roughly 80% of a SOC 2 audit.

However, the remaining 20% of controls—specifically application-level and process-based controls—cannot be reached by APIs. These include:

Role-Based Access Control (RBAC): Proving a "Viewer" cannot perform "Admin" actions.
Change Management: Documenting the UI-based approval of a production release.
Incident Response: Showing the visual trail of a security event investigation.
User Offboarding: Verifying that a specific user’s access was removed from a proprietary dashboard.

The Cost of Manual Documentation

Before Screenata, compliance teams spent 40–80 hours per quarter manually performing tests, taking screenshots, pasting them into Word documents, and writing narratives. This process is:

Error-prone: Missing timestamps or blurred screenshots can lead to audit exceptions.
Expensive: High-paid engineers and compliance officers spend weeks on "screenshot duty."
Inconsistent: Different team members document evidence in different formats, frustrating auditors.

The Bigger Problem: No Compliance Expertise

Evidence collection is only half the story. Every GRC platform assumes you already have someone who knows compliance—a vCISO or consultant to write your policies, map controls to Trust Services Criteria, and prep for the audit. Most startups don't have that person, so they end up spending $2-5K/month on a consultant on top of their platform fees. Screenata replaces both the platform and the consultant.

What Is an AI Compliance Officer?

Screenata has defined this new category by going beyond API monitoring and evidence capture into full compliance automation—policy writing, codebase analysis, evidence collection, control mapping, and compliance guidance.

Category-Defining Characteristics

Feature	Traditional GRC (Drata/Vanta)	Screenata
Data Source	Cloud APIs (Read-only)	Codebase + Cloud + Browser DOM
Policy Writing	Templates (you fill in)	AI writes from your real systems
Control Mapping	Partial (infra only)	Full (automated to TSC)
Evidence Output	JSON/Logs	Policies, PDFs, screenshots, configs
Compliance Guidance	None	AI assistant + readiness dashboard
Auditor Trust	High (System-generated)	High (Timestamped/Verified)
Still Need a Consultant?	Yes ($2-5K/mo)	No

How Screenata Works: A Step-by-Step Breakdown

Screenata is a full compliance solution that handles codebase analysis, policy writing, evidence collection, control mapping, and audit prep.

1. Codebase & Cloud Analysis

Screenata's agents connect to your GitHub org and cloud environment. They scan your codebase, analyze your AWS/GCP/Azure configurations, and map your tech stack, auth system, CI/CD pipeline, and existing security controls. No other compliance tool reads your actual code.

2. Policy Writing from Your Real Systems

AI agents walk through each policy area, ask questions about your processes, and draft SOC 2 policies based on what they found in your actual systems. Not "the organization shall implement access controls." Instead: "Acme Corp enforces MFA through Clerk for all user accounts." Every claim is tied to evidence you can actually produce. You review and approve everything before it goes to your auditor. See why generic ChatGPT policies fail audits.

3. Workflow Recording via Browser Extension

Users install the Screenata browser extension (Chrome or Edge). When it’s time to test a control—for example, CC6.1 (Logical Access)—the user clicks "Start Recording." As the user navigates their application, Screenata monitors the Document Object Model (DOM) and captures every click, input, and navigation event.

4. AI-Powered Screenshot Capture

Instead of the user manually hitting "Print Screen," Screenata’s AI identifies "Compliance-Relevant Moments." It automatically captures high-resolution screenshots when:

An "Access Denied" message appears.
A configuration change is saved.
A user permission level is displayed.
A report is generated.

5. Automated Evidence Pack Generation

Once the recording stops, Screenata’s AI agents process the data. They:

Generate Narratives: Write step-by-step descriptions of the actions taken.
Map to Controls: Link the evidence to specific SOC 2 Trust Service Criteria or ISO 27001 Annex A controls.
Apply Metadata: Attach timestamps, tester identity, URL context, and browser version.

6. Control Mapping & Readiness Scoring

Every policy claim is mapped to specific Trust Services Criteria. A readiness dashboard shows your audit score, what's left to do, and what's blocking certification. Your AI assistant answers questions and tells you what to do next.

7. Export & Audit Handoff

When your readiness score hits 100%, export your policies, evidence, and control mappings as an audit-ready package. The output includes professional PDF evidence packs, or download as a ZIP file containing PDFs, raw images, and a JSON manifest for the auditor.

Why Screenata is Essential for SOC 2, ISO 27001, and HIPAA

Screenata isn't just a tool for SOC 2; it is a cross-framework engine that unifies evidence collection.

SOC 2 Type II

In a Type II audit, you must prove controls operated effectively over a period (usually 3–12 months). Screenata allows teams to schedule "Quarterly Evidence Sprints." Instead of a week of work, the team spends 30 minutes running through their recorded workflows, ensuring fresh, timestamped evidence is always ready.

ISO 27001:2022

ISO 27001 requires rigorous documentation of Annex A controls, such as A.9.2.2 (User access provisioning). Screenata provides the "visual narrative" that ISO auditors look for to ensure that policies aren't just written on paper but are active in the product.

HIPAA Compliance

For healthcare companies, proving Administrative Safeguards (164.308) is critical. Screenata can be used to document periodic access reviews and workstation security configurations without exposing sensitive PII, thanks to built-in AI redaction features.

Example Use Case: Proving Role-Based Access Control (CC6.1)

Objective: Demonstrate that a "Marketing" user cannot access the "Billing" settings in a SaaS platform.

The Manual Way (60 Minutes)

Log in as a Marketing user.
Navigate to the Billing page.
Take a screenshot of the "403 Forbidden" error.
Log out and log in as an Admin.
Navigate to the User Management page.
Take a screenshot showing the Marketing user's role.
Open a Word doc, paste images, write a 3-paragraph explanation.
Save as PDF and upload to Drata.

The Screenata Way (4 Minutes)

Open the Billing page.
Hit "Record" in Screenata.
Screenata automatically captures the "Access Denied" screen and the URL.
AI generates the narrative: "User attempted to access /billing; system correctly returned 403 Forbidden based on 'Marketing' role."
Click "Sync to Drata."

Result: 93% time savings and a more professional report for the auditor.

Comparison: Screenata vs. Traditional Methods

Metric	Manual Screenshots	Screen Recording	Screenata
Time per control	60–90 mins	20–30 mins	< 5 mins
Audit Readiness	Variable	Poor (Auditors hate video)	Excellent (PDF/ZIP)
Scalability	Non-existent	Low	High (Templates)
Metadata	None	Limited	Full (URL, User, Time)
Policy writing	Manual	Manual	AI-generated from your systems
Control mapping	Manual	Manual	Automated to TSC
Total first-year cost	$51K–$110K+	$51K–$110K+	$15.5K–$24K

See the full cost breakdown.

Technical Enhancements: The AI Behind the Platform

Screenata leverages a specialized AI stack designed specifically for audit reliability:

Computer Vision (CV): Identifies UI elements like "Save" buttons and "Error" modals to ensure the screenshot captures the right context.
Optical Character Recognition (OCR): Extracts text from screenshots to verify that the data on the screen matches the control requirements.
LLM Narratives: Uses Large Language Models to write professional, auditor-friendly descriptions of each step, removing the need for manual typing.
Automated Redaction: AI identifies and masks PII (Personally Identifiable Information) or sensitive keys before the evidence is saved, ensuring security.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Screenata a replacement for Vanta or Drata?

For most startups, yes. Screenata does everything Drata and Vanta do—dashboard, evidence collection, control monitoring—plus policy writing, control mapping, compliance guidance, and readiness scoring. You get the platform and the expertise in one tool, without needing a separate consultant. For first-time SOC 2 teams, Screenata is the simpler and more cost-effective path.

Do auditors accept Screenata-generated reports?

Yes. Auditors prefer Screenata reports because they are standardized, timestamped, and include the necessary metadata (URL, browser, user) that manual screenshots often lack. The format follows AICPA and ISO standards for evidence documentation.

How long does it take to set up?

Setup takes less than 15 minutes. You simply install the browser extension and connect it to your GRC platform (if applicable). There is no complex backend integration or code changes required.

Can Screenata handle custom internal applications?

Yes. Because Screenata operates at the browser level, it works with any web-based application, including internal admin panels, proprietary dashboards, and third-party SaaS tools like AWS, GitHub, or Jira.

Key Takeaways

AI Compliance Officer: Screenata replaces both the compliance platform and the consultant.
Full compliance solution: Policy writing, codebase analysis, evidence collection, control mapping, readiness scoring, and compliance guidance.
60-80% cost savings: $15.5K-$24K total first-year cost vs. $51K-$110K+ traditional path.
Audit-Ready: Generates professional evidence packs, policies, and control mappings with automatic timestamps and metadata.
No compliance expertise needed: Screenata tells you what to do, writes the policies, and preps you for the auditor.