Biggest Cybersecurity Compliance Challenges in 2025 and How to Overcome Them Through Vendor Management
Navigating the landscape of cybersecurity compliance in 2025 is more challenging than ever, especially when third-party vendors are involved. Discover how effective vendor management can be your strongest ally.
The Role of Third-Party Vendors in Cybersecurity
In the realm of cybersecurity, third-party vendors play an integral role in a company’s overall security posture. However, this relationship is not without its challenges. A staggering 68% of breaches in 2024 were attributed to third-party vendors. This highlights the critical need for organizations to not only focus on their internal security measures but also extend their vigilance to their vendor networks.
Vendors can introduce vulnerabilities if they do not adhere to stringent cybersecurity practices. It is imperative for organizations to treat their vendors as extensions of their own security ecosystem, ensuring that they comply with the same standards and protocols.
Obtaining Vendor Certifications & Attestations
If your organization is striving to achieve numerous security certifications and attestations, you should ask the same level of commitment from your vendors. Attestations and certifications such as SOC 2, ISO 27001, and others are not just badges of honor; they are attestations of a vendor’s commitment to maintaining robust security practices.
By requiring these certifications, you ensure your vendors adhere to industry standards, which mitigates potential security risks. This also fosters a culture of accountability and trust, as vendors know they are held to the same high standards as your own organization.
Reviewing Vendor Reports
Obtaining reports from your vendors is just the first step. The real challenge lies in thoroughly reviewing these reports and assessing their content. Are you scrutinizing these documents to ensure the vendor’s claims align with their actual practices? Are you verifying the controls they have in place are effective and meet your organization’s requirements?
It is essential to have a systematic approach to tracking these controls. Utilize tools and software that offer real-time monitoring and reporting capabilities. This ensures you are not only meeting the required controls but also maintaining an up-to-date ledger of compliance statuses and any areas that need attention.
Meeting Controls Required by Vendors
Meeting the controls required by vendors involves a two-way street of compliance and collaboration. Your organization must ensure that it is not only imposing rigorous standards on its vendors but also adhering to the controls set forth by them, especially if they are critical to your operations. Tracking this can be streamlined through the use of vendor management systems (VMS) and governance, risk management, and compliance (GRC) tools. These platforms can help in maintaining a comprehensive overview of compliance statuses, audit trails, and performance metrics. Regular audits and reviews should be conducted to ensure continuous compliance and to address any gaps promptly.
BARR Advisory can help you simplify the path to security and compliance. Contact us today to get started.