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Top 20 Most Asked Third Party Risk Questions for Vendors 



These questions help organizations assess the overall risk posed by third-party vendors, covering critical areas like data protection, regulatory compliance, and incident response.

Here’s a list of the Top 20 Most Asked Third-Party Risk Management (TPRM) Questions for Vendors in TPRM questionnaires:

1. What types of sensitive data do you handle for our organization?

  • Vendors should clarify the types of data they collect, process, or store, such as personal information, financial data, or intellectual property.

2. How do you protect data at rest and in transit?

  • This question probes into the encryption methods, protocols, and security controls in place for safeguarding data during storage and transmission.

3. Do you have a formal Information Security Program in place?

  • Vendors should describe their overall cybersecurity framework, including policies, procedures, and governance.

4. How do you manage user access to our data and systems?

  • This covers access control methods, role-based access, and authentication mechanisms used by the vendor.

5. Are you compliant with regulatory requirements such as GDPR, CCPA, or HIPAA?

  • Vendors should indicate which regulations they comply with and provide documentation where applicable.

6. Do you have a Business Continuity Plan (BCP) and Disaster Recovery (DR) plan?

  • This addresses the vendor’s preparedness to continue operations and recover data during incidents or disasters.

7. What third parties or subcontractors do you work with, and how do you manage their risk?

  • Vendors should list any downstream suppliers or partners and explain how they ensure their compliance with security standards.

8. How often do you conduct security audits or assessments?

  • It’s crucial to know how frequently the vendor evaluates their security controls, either internally or through third-party assessments.

9. Have you experienced any security breaches or data incidents in the last 12 months?

  • Vendors should disclose any security incidents and provide details on the nature of the breach and mitigation efforts.

10. Do you have cybersecurity insurance?

  • This question ensures the vendor has coverage for cyber incidents that might affect your organization.

11. What controls do you have in place to prevent insider threats?

  • Vendors should outline the mechanisms they employ to detect and mitigate risks posed by their employees or contractors.

12. How do you secure your physical locations that store or process our data?

  • This focuses on the physical security measures like restricted access, surveillance, and environmental controls at vendor sites.

13. How do you ensure the security of your software development lifecycle (SDLC)?

  • Vendors should provide insights into their secure coding practices, vulnerability testing, and patch management processes.

14. Do you perform regular vulnerability scanning and penetration testing?

  • It’s important to know how frequently the vendor identifies and mitigates vulnerabilities in their systems.

15. What encryption standards do you use to protect data in your systems?

  • Vendors should specify the encryption algorithms (e.g., AES-256, TLS 1.2) they use for data protection.

16. How do you handle data retention and destruction?

  • This ensures the vendor has a clear process for retaining, archiving, and securely disposing of data when no longer needed.

17. Do you have procedures for incident response, and how will you notify us in case of an incident?

  • Vendors should outline their incident response protocols and the timeline and method of communication in the event of a security breach.

18. How do you handle the onboarding and offboarding of employees with access to our systems or data?

  • This question explores the vendor’s procedures for granting and revoking access to systems when employees join or leave the organization.

19. What is your policy on performing background checks on employees with access to sensitive data?

  • Understanding the vendor’s vetting process ensures they’re hiring trustworthy employees, especially those who handle critical data.

20. Can you provide us with recent security certifications or audit reports (e.g., SOC 2, ISO 27001)?

  • Vendors should be able to supply evidence of their security controls through third-party certifications or compliance reports.

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