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Tips for Preventing Third Party Data Breaches at Your Organization

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Try as we might (and yes, InfoSec teams try their hardest every day), data breaches do happen. Vendor risk management efforts are in place to help mitigate and minimize this risk. Still, there is always an inherent chance of a data breach just because when any third party vendor has access to your company’s information and data, that gap in the system provides a way for threats to get in.

Tips and tricks for preventing third party data breaches

Whether your team has an established vendor risk management program or if you’re just starting to work with third party vendors, eliminating gaps in the process to prevent data breaches is critical. Here are some tips and tricks for preventing third party data breaches at your organization:

  • Complete a full security audit with any new third party vendor. Before giving a new partner or vendor access to your secure data, complete a full security audit using an industry-standard questionnaire or assessment. Never go into partnership with a vendor that refuses an audit.
  • Ask for access to a vendor’s security protocol early in the sales process. If you are considering entering into a vendor partnership, ask for access to a published security protocol as early as possible in negotiations. This way, your InfoSec team has time to review, ask any questions, and run any audits as early as possible to mitigate any red flags moving forward.
  • Educate your internal team on third party risks. More often than not, it is a manual error from an internal resource that opens up a gap for security threats to attack. By educating your internal team on correct security methods – two-factor authentication, strong passwords, security network access, etc. – you can proactively prevent data breaches from the inside out.
  • Don’t be afraid to audit your current vendors on an ongoing basis. Vendor risk protocols change over time in accordance with new security threats and technology. Ensure your current vendors are up to date with your protocols by regularly performing ongoing audits. This means re-running questionnaires and audits as your new protocols require.

How are you preventing third party data breaches?

While there is no one-size-fits-all method for third party vendor management, it is possible to implement tools and strategies to scale vendor security. With the Whistic platform, your team can implement a one-stop-shop for all things vendor risk management, grant access and visibility to key stakeholders for education and transparency, and be notified of any red flags or gaps in vendor security controls.

InfoSec leaders can update and change security controls as needed. Other stakeholders can access these updates as soon as they are made so that everyone can access the most up-to-date information. Additionally, when vendors publish new security audits, your team can immediately be notified of a change in the partnership, giving your InfoSec team time to make necessary adjustments and changes to mitigate risk.

You can learn more and get started with Whistic here.

Information Security