Supplier Security Reviews, in the context of security and cybersecurity, refer to the assessment and evaluation of security practices, controls, and compliance of suppliers, vendors, or third-party partners who provide goods, services, or resources to an organization. These reviews ensure that the supplier's security measures align with the organization's standards and meet regulatory and industry-specific requirements, minimizing potential risks and vulnerabilities associated with external relationships.

Critical elements of Supplier Security Reviews include:

Security Assessment:  Evaluating the supplier's security policies, practices, and technologies to identify potential risks and weaknesses.

Compliance Verification: Confirm that the supplier adheres to relevant regulations, industry standards, and contractual security requirements.

Data Protection:  Ensuring the supplier adequately safeguards sensitive data shared or processed during the collaboration.

Incident Response:  Assessing the supplier's incident response procedures and ability to effectively coordinate and respond to security incidents.

Access Controls:  Evaluating how the supplier manages user access, authentication, and authorization to systems and data.

Vulnerability Management: Identifying vulnerabilities or weaknesses in the supplier's products or services that may pose a security risk.

Contractual Agreements:  Establishing security and compliance expectations through legal agreements, service level agreements (SLAs), and other contractual arrangements.

Supplier Security Reviews are essential for organizations seeking to maintain a secure and compliant ecosystem of external relationships. They help ensure that suppliers uphold the same security and data protection standards as the organization, minimizing the potential for security breaches, data leaks, and disruptions resulting from weaknesses in supplier partnerships. These reviews are fundamental to a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy, particularly in managing third-party risk.

ThreatNG is a comprehensive platform combining External Attack Surface Management (EASM), Digital Risk Protection (DRP), and Security Ratings, and is crucial in strengthening Supplier Security Reviews. Explicitly focusing on the organization's external digital presence, it proactively identifies vulnerabilities, threats, and third-party risks and provides holistic insights into potential security concerns. For example, when conducting a Supplier Security Review for a supplier responsible for managing the organization's external digital presence, ThreatNG assesses the supplier's security measures and compliance and can initiate a seamless handoff to the organization's Supplier Risk Management (SRM) platform if it identifies any security gaps or non-compliance issues. This transition empowers the SRM team to collaborate with the supplier, addressing identified security shortcomings and ensuring alignment with the organization's security and compliance standards. Furthermore, ThreatNG can integrate with complementary solutions to streamline post-assessment analysis, allowing organizations to enhance Supplier Security Reviews, secure their external digital presence, and maintain a consistent and compliant security posture across all supplier relationships, effectively safeguarding their digital ecosystem from potential vulnerabilities and risks.