Comparison

PASM vs Compliance Audit Software: They Check Policies. We Check Rooms.

Platforms like Vanta, Drata, and Secureframe automate digital compliance checks. They verify that policies exist, that configurations are correct, and that access controls are in place. What they cannot do is walk through your office and check whether any of it is actually working on the ground.

Your Compliance Dashboard Says Green. Your Office Says Otherwise.

Compliance automation tools are good at what they do. They pull data from your cloud infrastructure, check endpoint configurations, verify that MFA is enabled, confirm that security awareness training has been completed, and generate the evidence packages your auditor needs. For digital controls, they save weeks of manual work.

But SOC 2, ISO 27001, and NIST all include physical security controls. And this is where the automation stops. Vanta can confirm that you have a clean-desk policy document. It cannot confirm that desks are actually clear at 7pm. Drata can verify that your visitor management system is configured. It cannot verify that the reception desk is unattended every lunchtime for 45 minutes.

The physical controls in your compliance framework are the ones most likely to be checked on paper and ignored in practice. PASM exists to close that gap.

Side-by-Side Comparison

What Each Approach Actually Verifies

Control Area

Vanta / Drata

PASM

Clean-desk policy exists and is acknowledged

Clean desks are verified by physical inspection

Access control system is configured correctly

Tailgating (piggybacking) is tested at entry points

Visitor management policy is documented

Visitors are actually escorted and monitored

MFA and endpoint protection are enabled

Printers require authentication before releasing jobs

USB ports are disabled in policy

USB ports are physically verified as disabled or blocked

Security awareness training completed

Screen visibility from public areas assessed

Credential storage audited (keycards, keys, fobs)

Document disposal and shredding verified

Server room physical access tested

TSCM sweep for electronic surveillance

Workspace compliance score per department

Continuous monitoring with remediation tracking

Physical controls verified

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Vanta and Drata are trademarks of their respective companies. This comparison reflects publicly documented product capabilities as of 2025.

Policy Compliance ≠ Physical Security

Having a clean-desk policy does not mean desks are clean. Having a visitor escort policy does not mean visitors are escorted. Having a physical access control system does not mean the server room door is locked at 11pm on a Friday.

Compliance audit software verifies that your organisation has the right policies, configurations, and documentation. That is necessary. But it is not sufficient. The physical gap between "policy exists" and "policy is followed" is exactly where sensitive information leaks.

PASM fills that gap with physical inspection, workspace scoring, and continuous monitoring. It produces the evidence that proves your physical controls actually work, not just that they exist on paper.

Complementary, Not Competing

Use Both. Here Is How They Fit Together.

Compliance Automation

Vanta, Drata, Secureframe

Automates evidence collection for digital controls

Monitors cloud configurations, endpoints, and access

Tracks policy acknowledgement and training completion

Generates audit-ready reports for SOC 2, ISO 27001

Tells you whether your digital policies are configured and documented correctly.

Physical Verification

PASM Framework

Physical inspection of workspaces, rooms, and access points

Workspace compliance scoring with photographic evidence

Verifies that physical policies are followed in practice

Continuous monitoring, remediation tracking, TSCM sweeps

Tells you whether your physical environment actually matches what the policies promise.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does PASM replace Vanta or Drata?

No. PASM and compliance automation platforms serve different purposes. Vanta, Drata, and similar tools verify that your digital policies, configurations, and access controls meet compliance standards. PASM verifies that your physical environment meets those same standards in practice. Most organisations need both.

Can Vanta verify physical security controls?

Vanta can check whether a clean-desk policy document exists and whether employees have acknowledged it. It cannot verify whether the policy is actually followed. That requires physical inspection, which is what PASM delivers.

How do PASM findings feed into our SOC 2 audit?

PASM produces evidence that maps directly to SOC 2 physical security controls (CC6.4, CC6.5, CC6.6). The SAPP platform exports audit-ready reports including photographic evidence, remediation timelines, and workspace compliance scores that your auditor can review alongside your Vanta or Drata output.

What compliance frameworks does PASM support?

PASM findings map to ISO 27001 Annex A (physical controls), SOC 2 Trust Services Criteria (Common Criteria 6), NIST SP 800-53 (PE family), PCI DSS physical security requirements, and GDPR Article 32 technical and organisational measures. The SAPP platform generates framework-specific reports.

Do we need PASM if we already passed our SOC 2 audit?

Passing a SOC 2 audit means your policies and digital controls met the standard at the time of assessment. It does not mean your physical environment is secure. Many organisations pass SOC 2 while having unlocked server rooms, unshredded documents in recycling bins, and master keycards in desk drawers. PASM finds these gaps.

Your Compliance Tool Shows Green. Does Your Office?

Book a physical security assessment and get the evidence your compliance platform cannot generate. We work alongside Vanta, Drata, and your existing audit tools.

Schedule Assessment Explore the PASM Framework