Third-Party Security Assessments

This question asks whether you evaluate the security practices of companies you share data with before you start working with them. It's like doing a background check on your vendors - reviewing their security certifications, asking about their practices, and verifying they can safely handle your information before you give them access to it.

Regular security assessments of vendors prevent you from unknowingly partnering with companies that could compromise your data. This due diligence protects you from breaches originating at third parties, helps you meet compliance requirements that mandate vendor vetting, and gives customers confidence that their data is safe throughout your entire ecosystem. Skipping assessments could make you liable for choosing negligent partners.

Many companies only assess vendors during initial onboarding but never re-evaluate them, missing degradation in security practices over time. Another common error is accepting vendor self-attestations at face value without requesting evidence like SOC 2 reports or conducting independent verification of their security claims.