Vetting Your Vendors: Understanding the “Chain of Control” of Data, Security Pitfalls in Third-Party Contracts, and Service Agreements

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Presented at SecureWorldAtlanta 2019 by

Rebecca Rakoski

One of the most important considerations in cybersecurity does not involve your own direct network security; it involves your partners and vendors. In the world of cybersecurity, you are only as strong as the weakest link in your vendor chain. The ease, convenience, and cost effectiveness of outsourcing certain business functions frequently overshadows the potential pitfalls lurking in using outside third-parties and vendors. This presentation will discuss the steps your organization needs to take to ensure that any partners or vendors with access to your network systems or company data are meeting (at least) a minimum level of security requirements.An organization needs to adequately assess its partners’ and vendors’ cybersecurity “maturity” and create a dialogue of security with each of them. Further, a full understanding of the contractual liabilities regarding the security of the vendor will allow the company and the vendor to fully understand the vulnerabilities in their business agreement. Cybersecurity is a growing problem; the only way to truly understand the threats and vulnerabilities is to to understand your systems and those of your vendors.