A vendor security rating is a quantifiable assessment of a third-party vendor's cybersecurity security posture. It's like a credit score for cybersecurity, providing an objective measure of how well a vendor protects its systems and data from cyber threats.

Here's a breakdown:

What it is:

• Data-driven evaluation: Security ratings are typically generated by analyzing data collected from public and private sources. This includes information about the vendor's security controls, vulnerabilities, past security incidents, and overall security practices.

• Objective measurement: The goal is to provide an unbiased assessment of a vendor's security performance, allowing organizations to compare vendors and make informed decisions about their security risk.

• Continuous monitoring: Security ratings are often updated regularly to reflect vendor security posture changes. This helps organizations stay informed about potential risks and take appropriate action.

Why it's important:

• Third-party risk management: Organizations rely on numerous third-party vendors, and a security breach at a vendor can significantly impact the organization itself. Security ratings help organizations assess and manage the risk associated with their vendors.

• Due diligence: Security ratings provide a quick and easy way to assess a vendor's security posture during due diligence. This helps organizations make informed decisions about which vendors to work with.

• Contractual obligations: Many contracts now include security requirements for vendors. Security ratings can be used to monitor vendor compliance with these requirements.

• Improved security: By using security ratings, organizations can encourage vendors to improve their security practices. This leads to a more secure ecosystem overall.

How it's used:

• Vendor selection: Organizations can use security ratings to compare vendors and select those with the most substantial security posture.

• Risk assessment: Security ratings can be incorporated into overall risk assessments to evaluate the potential impact of a vendor's security on the organization.

• Monitoring and remediation: Organizations can use security ratings to monitor their vendors' security performance over time and identify areas for improvement.

• Contract negotiations: Security ratings can be used to negotiate security requirements in contracts with vendors.

Key factors considered in a vendor security rating:

• Vulnerability management: How effectively does the vendor identify and remediate vulnerabilities?

• Security controls: What security controls are in place to protect data?

• Incident response: How well does the vendor respond to security incidents?

• Data security practices: Does the vendor have strong security policies and procedures?

• Compliance: Does the vendor comply with relevant security standards and regulations?

Vendor Security Ratings are essential for managing third-party cyber risk. They provide organizations with an objective and data-driven way to assess the security posture of their vendors, enabling them to make informed decisions and build a more secure ecosystem.

ThreatNG has robust capabilities that align well with Vendor Security Ratings. Here's how it can be utilized to assess and monitor the security posture of third-party vendors:

1. Data-Driven Evaluation:

• Domain Intelligence: ThreatNG's Domain Intelligence module provides a comprehensive analysis of a vendor's domain, including DNS records, subdomains, SSL certificates, exposed APIs, and known vulnerabilities. This data offers valuable insights into the vendor's security hygiene and potential weaknesses in their online presence.

• Dark Web Presence: ThreatNG actively monitors the dark web for mentions of the vendor, including any discussions about security incidents, data breaches, or vulnerabilities. This provides early warnings about potential risks associated with the vendor.1

• Sentiment and Financials: By analyzing news articles, SEC filings (especially for publicly traded companies), and social media, ThreatNG can assess the vendor's financial stability, legal standing, and reputation. These factors can indirectly impact a vendor's security posture, as financial distress or legal issues lead to reduced investment in security.

• Technology Stack: ThreatNG identifies the vendor's technologies, which helps assess their exposure to vulnerabilities associated with specific technologies and their overall attack surface.

2. Objective Measurement:

• Security Ratings: ThreatNG generates comprehensive security ratings considering various factors, including web application hijacking susceptibility, subdomain takeover susceptibility, BEC & phishing susceptibility, data leak susceptibility, cyber risk exposure, and breach & ransomware susceptibility. These ratings provide an objective and quantifiable measure of the vendor's security posture.

• Continuous Monitoring: ThreatNG monitors the vendor's attack surface for changes and new threats, providing real-time insights into their security posture.2 This ongoing assessment ensures that the security rating remains up-to-date and reflects the vendor's current security status.

3. Key Factors Considered:

• Vulnerability Management: ThreatNG's Domain Intelligence and Sensitive Code Exposure modules help assess the vendor's vulnerability management practices. By identifying known vulnerabilities, exposed APIs, and sensitive data in code repositories, ThreatNG can gauge the vendor's ability to identify and remediate security weaknesses.

• Security Controls: ThreatNG identifies the presence of security controls like web application firewalls. It also analyzes the vendor's technology stack to infer the likely presence of other security measures. This information contributes to understanding the vendor's overall security posture.

• Incident Response: While ThreatNG doesn't directly assess a vendor's incident response capabilities, monitoring the dark web and analyzing SEC Form 8-Ks for mentions of security incidents can provide indirect insights into the vendor's ability to handle and recover from security events.

• Data Security Practices: ThreatNG's assessment of data leak susceptibility, which considers factors like cloud security, dark web presence, and financial indicators, can shed light on the vendor's data security practices.

• Compliance: ThreatNG's ESG Exposure module evaluates the vendor's environmental, social, and governance standards compliance. Additionally, analyzing SEC filings can reveal the vendor's adherence to industry-specific regulations and legal obligations.

Complementary Solutions and Examples:

• Third-Party Risk Management Platforms: Integrating ThreatNG with dedicated third-party risk management platforms like BitSight or SecurityScorecard can enhance vendor risk assessments by combining ThreatNG's data with additional risk indicators and scoring models.

• Threat Intelligence Platforms: Enriching ThreatNG's intelligence repositories with data from threat intelligence platforms can provide deeper context about the threats facing the vendor and their industry.

Examples:

• Supply Chain Risk Assessment: ThreatNG can be used to assess the security posture of critical vendors in the supply chain, helping organizations identify and mitigate potential risks associated with third-party dependencies.

• Vendor Due Diligence: ThreatNG can provide a comprehensive security assessment during vendor onboarding or contract renewals, enabling organizations to make informed decisions about vendor selection and contract negotiations.

By leveraging its extensive discovery and assessment capabilities, continuous monitoring, and comprehensive security ratings, ThreatNG empowers organizations to evaluate and monitor the security posture of their vendors effectively. This helps organizations reduce third-party cyber risk, improve security posture, and build a more resilient ecosystem.