Top 10 Cybersecurity Questions to Ask Your Vendors

Introduction

Your organization is only as secure as its weakest third-party vendor. From cloud service providers to marketing platforms, vendors often handle sensitive data or have access to your internal systems. According to Venminder, 98% of organizations have a relationship with a third party that has been breached. That’s why conducting thorough cybersecurity assessments is no longer optional — it’s essential.

At SecurityPal, we’ve answered more than 2 million security questions, including over 87% of the Fortune 500 security questions, giving our team of analysts deep insight into which questions matter most — and what red flags to watch for in responses.

This guide outlines the top 10 cybersecurity questions you should ask every vendor to reduce risk, maintain compliance, and protect your customers. Each question is designed to uncover how your vendors safeguard their systems and data — and, by extension, yours.

Why Vendor Cybersecurity Assessments Matter

Modern organizations rely on an expanding network of third-party providers to run critical operations. According to a Ponemon Institute study, organizations share sensitive and confidential information with an average of 583 third parties. A Gartner report noted that 60% of organizations work with over 1,000 third parties, and this number is growing annually. 

While these partnerships offer efficiency and innovation, they also open new avenues for cyber threats. In fact, according to the same Poneman study, over 50% of data breaches are linked to third-party vendors.

Regulations like GDPR, HIPAA, and SOC 2 explicitly require organizations to assess vendor security as part of their compliance obligations. Failure to do so can result in:

• Regulatory fines
• Customer data loss
• Business continuity disruptions
• Reputational damage

Thorough vendor security assessments help you identify gaps before they turn into costly incidents.

How to Evaluate Vendor Security Effectively

Third-party risk management (TPRM) isn’t a one-time effort — it’s an ongoing, multi-layered process. A strong vendor cybersecurity assessment should include:

• Standardized questionnaires tailored to the vendor’s role and risk level
• Supporting documentation, such as audit reports, certifications, or penetration test summaries
• Continuous monitoring to track evolving threats and changes in vendor posture

The depth of your assessment should reflect the criticality of the vendor. High-risk vendors may warrant on-site audits, red-team testing, or independent third-party assessments.

Top 10 Cybersecurity Questions to Ask Your Vendors

To help you confidently assess vendor risk, here are ten essential cybersecurity questions every organization should include in its security questionnaire before entering or renewing a third-party relationship:

1. What Security Certifications and Standards Do You Adhere to?

Purpose: To evaluate whether the vendor follows recognized frameworks that reflect mature, audited security practices.

What to look for:

• Current certifications like SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, FedRAMP, PCI DSS, or HITRUST
• Clear scope statements (e.g., which systems or processes are covered)
• Details on frequency of audits and third-party assessors
• Evidence of ongoing compliance and remediation of findings

Red flag: No formal certifications or vague descriptions like “we follow best practices.”

2. How Do You Handle Data Encryption in Transit and at Rest?

Purpose: To confirm that sensitive data is protected from unauthorized access during transmission and storage.

What to look for:

• Use of AES-256 or stronger encryption for data at rest
• Use of TLS 1.2 or 1.3 for data in transit
• Description of key management practices, such as use of Hardware Security Modules (HSMs) or Key Management Services (KMS)
• Segregation of duties in key access and management

‍Red flag: Use of outdated encryption (e.g., SSL or TLS 1.0) or unclear explanations of how data is encrypted.

3. Can You Provide Details on Your Incident Response Plan (IRP)?

Purpose: To assess how prepared the vendor is to detect, respond to, and recover from security incidents.

What to look for:

• A documented and tested IRP with version control
• Defined roles and responsibilities, including legal and communication teams
• Timelines for notification to affected customers (e.g., within 72 hours)
• Tabletop exercises or simulations conducted at least annually
• Inclusion of lessons learned and post-mortem procedures

Red flag: No formal IRP or lack of customer notification requirements.

4. What Types of Security Testing Are Performed and How Often?

Purpose: To evaluate the vendor’s commitment to identifying and remediating vulnerabilities proactively.

What to look for:

• Quarterly or monthly vulnerability scans using tools like Nessus or Qualys
• Annual or biannual penetration testing by an independent third party
• Internal and external testing results, along with remediation timelines
• Use of bug bounty programs or responsible disclosure policies

‍Red flag: Infrequent or ad hoc testing, or reluctance to share results.

5. Is There a Formal Process to Review User Access?

Purpose: To ensure only authorized personnel can access sensitive systems and data, and that access is reviewed regularly.

What to look for:

• Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) or Least Privilege Access policies
• Quarterly access reviews and certifications
• Automated provisioning/deprovisioning tied to identity platforms (e.g., Okta)
• Immediate revocation of access upon termination or role change

‍Red flag: Manual or inconsistent access reviews, or access not tied to business roles.

6. What Physical Security Measures are in Place at your Offices and/or Data Centers?

Purpose: To understand how physical environments are secured against unauthorized access.

What to look for:

• 24/7 surveillance systems, biometric or badge-based access control
• Visitor sign-in logs, escort requirements, and facility zoning
• Separation of data center access from general employee areas
• Use of Tier III or IV data centers (if applicable)

Red flag: Shared workspaces or lack of formal access controls in sensitive areas.

7. Can You Share Details About Your Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Plan?

Purpose: To evaluate the vendor’s ability to maintain operations and recover quickly in the event of a disruption, such as a cyberattack, natural disaster, or system failure.

What to look for:

• A documented and regularly tested Business Continuity Plan (BCP) and Disaster Recovery Plan (DRP)
• Defined Recovery Time Objectives (RTO) and Recovery Point Objectives (RPO)
• Redundant infrastructure and data backup procedures
• Inclusion of critical third-party dependencies in the continuity strategy
• Recent tabletop exercises or real-world examples of plan execution

‍Red flag: No formal continuity planning, outdated documentation, or inability to demonstrate testing or real-world recovery scenarios.

8. What Due Diligence is Performed on Third Parties Before and After Contract Stage?

Purpose: To assess how the vendor manages its own vendors — also known as fourth-party risk.

What to look for:

• Security questionnaires or risk assessments for subcontractors
• Inclusion of security and compliance obligations in contracts
• Ongoing performance and risk monitoring
• Ability to provide a list of subcontractors upon request

Red flag: No visibility into subcontractors or informal processes.

9. Is There a Formal Incident Management Program in Place?

Purpose: To understand how the vendor detects, investigates, and resolves security issues.

What to look for:

• Security operations center (SOC) or monitoring tools (e.g., SIEM)
• SLAs for incident response
• Root cause analysis and lessons learned documentation

Red flag: Reliance solely on manual detection methods

10. What Types of Technical Prevention Measures are in Place?

Purpose: To confirm that robust preventive controls are in place to minimize attack surfaces.

What to look for:

• Firewalls, intrusion prevention systems (IPS), endpoint detection and response (EDR)
• Multi-factor authentication (MFA) for internal and external users
• Secure software development practices, including code reviews and static/dynamic testing
• Network segmentation and zero-trust architecture elements

Red flag: Over reliance on legacy systems or absence of key technical controls

Additional Factors to Consider in Vendor Security Assessments

While questionnaires are a critical starting point, comprehensive vendor evaluations should also include:

• Independent security audits, such as SOC 2 reports, ISO 27001 certificates, or external risk assessments
• On-site assessments for vendors handling highly sensitive or mission-critical data
• Security ratings platforms that provide continuous third-party monitoring
• Employee training programs that reduce insider threats and human error

SecurityPal’s platform streamlines the collection and analysis of this supporting information, enabling you to build a holistic risk profile of your vendors — all while reducing the administrative burden on your team.

Why SecurityPal Leads in Vendor Risk Assessment

SecurityPal simplifies and strengthens the vendor security assessment process with a blend of technology, expertise, and white-glove support. Our platform automates questionnaire management, collects the right documentation, and delivers actionable insights — all without the spreadsheet chaos.

What sets us apart:

• Lightning-fast automation: Complete questionnaires in as little as 24 hours with our proprietary AI
• Expert analyst support: 150+ certified analysts with deep knowledge of SOC 2, ISO 27001, NIST, and more
• Human oversight: We ensure every assessment is complete, accurate, and tailored to your needs
• Ongoing visibility: Monitor vendor posture with real-time alerts and compliance tracking

With SecurityPal, your team can focus on strategy and risk mitigation while we handle the operational load.

Final Thoughts

Third-party vendors are an extension of your business — and your risk surface. By asking the right cybersecurity questions and following up with meaningful evaluation, you can dramatically reduce the likelihood of breaches, outages, and non-compliance.

Make vendor cybersecurity assessments a consistent and integrated part of your risk management program — not a one-time checkbox.

Need Help Conducting Vendor Security Assessments?

SecurityPal is here to help. Whether you're building your vendor security process from scratch or looking to scale an existing program, our experts are ready to partner with you.

Learn more about how Security Questionnaire Concierge can transform security assessments from a roadblock to a competitive advantage.