Third Party and Vendor Risk Cannot Be Overlooked

Many security breaches begin not within the organisation itself but through its vendors, service providers, or supply chain partners. Whether due to weaker security practices, poor integration control, or unmanaged access, third party relationships often become the weakest link in an otherwise mature environment. Effective security governance must treat third party risk as a continuous concern rather than a one time assessment. This starts with formal onboarding processes that include security due diligence, risk classification, and clearly defined roles and responsibilities. Each vendor should be assessed for their exposure to sensitive systems and data, as well as their ability to maintain ongoing compliance with security and regulatory requirements.Contracts must include enforceable security expectations such as incident notification timeframes, audit rights, access restrictions, data handling standards, and the right to terminate access if controls are not met. Risk scoring should be updated regularly to reflect changes in the vendor’s security posture, and high risk suppliers should be subject to enhanced monitoring and control.

Ongoing assurance is essential. Organisations should not rely solely on questionnaires or certifications. Instead, continuous validation through evidence based reviews, performance metrics, and sometimes technical testing is needed. Access provided to vendors must be limited, monitored, and revoked when no longer required. Shared responsibility models must be understood and documented to prevent gaps in coverage.Security accountability cannot be transferred. While vendors may deliver technology or services, the risk always remains with the contracting organisation. To manage this properly, third party relationships must be governed with the same level of oversight, discipline, and control as internal operations.