Vendor Due Diligence (VDD) in cybersecurity is a critical process of assessing a potential vendor's security posture and risk profile before engaging in a business relationship. It involves thoroughly examining the vendor's security practices, controls, and overall risk management capabilities to ensure they align with your organization's security standards and regulatory requirements. VDD helps organizations decide which vendors to trust with their sensitive data and systems, minimizing the potential for security breaches, data leaks, and compliance violations.  

How ThreatNG Helps with Vendor Due Diligence

ThreatNG offers a comprehensive suite of tools and intelligence to enhance the vendor due diligence process:

• Supply Chain & Third-Party Exposure: This is specifically designed to identify and assess the security posture of potential vendors. It utilizes various techniques, including domain analysis, dark web monitoring, and social media analysis, to uncover likely risks associated with the vendor.

• Domain Intelligence: This module helps assess the security of the vendor's domain and email infrastructure. By analyzing DNS records (including DMARC, SPF, and DKIM), subdomains, and certificates, ThreatNG can identify potential vulnerabilities that attackers could exploit.

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

• Sensitive Code Exposure: If the vendor has inadvertently exposed sensitive information, such as API keys or credentials, in public code repositories, ThreatNG can detect this and alert you to the potential risk.

• Technology Stack Identification: By identifying the technologies used by the vendor, ThreatNG can help you assess their security posture and identify potential vulnerabilities that could impact your organization.

• Sentiment and Financials: This module provides insights into the vendor's financial health and reputation. Any negative news or financial instability can indicate increased risk.

Examples of ThreatNG's Modules and Capabilities in Action:

• Supply Chain & Third-Party Exposure: ThreatNG identifies a potential vendor with a history of data breaches and security incidents. This information allows you to make an informed decision about whether to proceed with the vendor or to require additional security assurances.

• Domain Intelligence: ThreatNG discovers that a vendor's email domain lacks DMARC enforcement, making them susceptible to email spoofing and phishing attacks. This prompts you to request that the vendor implement DMARC to improve their email security before engaging in a business relationship.

• Dark Web Presence: ThreatNG detects a discussion on a dark web forum about a potential vulnerability in a vendor's software component. This allows you to proactively engage with the vendor to discuss mitigation strategies and ensure they take appropriate steps to address the vulnerability.

Working with Complementary Solutions:

ThreatNG can integrate with other security solutions to enhance vendor due diligence:

• Third-Party Risk Management (TPRM) Platforms: TPRM platforms provide a centralized repository for managing vendor risk assessments and due diligence. ThreatNG's findings can be integrated into TPRM platforms to provide a more complete picture of vendor risk.  

• Vendor Risk Assessment Questionnaires: ThreatNG's findings can inform vendor risk assessment questionnaires, helping you ask the right questions and gather the necessary information to assess vendor risk.

Benefits of Using ThreatNG for Vendor Due Diligence:

• Proactive Risk Management: Identify and mitigate potential vendor risks before engaging in a business relationship.

• Improved Due Diligence: Enhance your vendor due diligence process with comprehensive security assessments and threat intelligence.

• Informed Decision-Making: Make informed decisions about which vendors to trust with your sensitive data and systems.

• Reduced Risk of Data Breaches: Minimize the risk of data breaches and other security incidents originating from your vendors.

• Strengthened Security Posture: Improve your overall security posture by proactively addressing risks associated with third-party vendors.

• Enhanced Compliance: Incorporate security assessments into your vendor due diligence process to ensure compliance with relevant regulations and industry standards.