Why Third-Party Security Protection Is a Critical Business Strategy
Many organizations think of third-party risk assessments as something that must be done to tick a box.
Progressive organizations understand that third-party risk assessments can be used strategically, to help develop their businesses.
Here’s why.
What Is a Third-Party Risk Assessment?
A third-party risk assessment is the process of assessing the risks associated with third party, such as a vendor, customer, or supplier. It is a process that can be done internally or externally, with the help of an expert cybersecurity professional. The main purpose of a third-party risk assessment is to identify and assess potential exposures, so that those exposures can be mitigated. This process also helps you to get a 360-degree view of what can go wrong with your company’s data.
Why You Need to Implement Third-Party Risk Assessments in Your Business Development Plan
Failing to assess third-party risks exposes your organization to many dangerous negative consequences. Here, we outline the benefits of undertaking rigorous third-party risk assessments.
· Enables Identification and Understanding of Risks
The more we understand risks and their impact, the better we can prepare for them. A third-party risk assessment is a tool that helps companies identify and understand risks more effectively.
This enables you to address those risks before they become problems. And understanding these risks is an essential step toward mitigating them.
· Mitigates Third-Party Risk Exposure
To mitigate risks, a company should perform a third-party risk assessment on a regular basis, not rely on internal audits alone, and always be aware of the regulatory environment in which they operate.
Continuous monitoring gives you timely insight into your third parties’ security. Instead of managing your risk assessments by calendar date, you should consider triggering them by actions, such as a change in security rating or an applicable regulatory change.
This ensures that the assessment is managed by the need to conduct one, and helps to prevent unacceptable risk from being introduced into the third-party environment simply because it isn’t time for assessment yet.
· Improves Allocation of Resources
A third-party risk assessment helps organizations allocate resources more efficiently, because it identifies the areas that could affect the business and which areas require attention.
Therefore, this puts your company in a stronger position to make better decisions about how to allocate your resources according to vulnerabilities.
· Reduces Potential Breaches
Cybersecurity teams can quickly collate the latest, most accurate information during an assessment. Fast analysis allows you to respond quickly to new risks, avoiding potential breaches that could attack your data.
· Reduces Reputational Risk
If an organization does not have a process in place to identify third-party risks, it may be faced with the consequences of another company’s security failures.
Further, poor risk prevention will lead to negative publicity, and dissatisfied and concerned customers.
· Allows You to Address Future Risks in Less Time with Fewer Resources
A third-party risk assessment allows you to address future risks faster and with fewer resources. It will provide you with the information needed to anticipate what could happen before it does happen. Prevention is much more effective than cure.
· Reduces Costs
Cyberattacks and security breaches are costly. Preventing them avoids the financial damage, and it can also significantly reduce the workload of your security team in the future.
Third-party risk assessments help insurance companies to come up with more effective and comprehensive coverage than they would otherwise offer, and the cost of premiums is lower because of this.
· Improves the Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability of Your Services
Customers and vendors have the reassurance their data will not be disclosed or exposed to unauthorized parties. The data will remain accurate and unchanged by malicious parties, and your products and services will be undisrupted.
· Allows You to Focus on Your Core Business Functions
With risks monitored and mitigated effectively, your organization can focus on its core business functions with the reassurance of maximized cybersecurity ─ improving the speed and deliverance and quality of your products and services.
· Drives Operational and Financial Efficiencies
An exposed risk can have a huge detrimental impact on your operations and financial success. Disruption is minimized, and costs of lost business, poor productivity, and remedial fixes are drastically reduced through third-party risk assessments.
Get Comprehensive and Expert Support Now
At Tiro Security, we offer the best exceptional security assessments and penetration. For comprehensive, understandable, and in-depth remediation reports for the security of your organization, contact us today.
From high-level, rapid assessment, to full reporting and training, Tiro Security provides the security protection you need.