Transparent supplier security: Continuous risk analysis across the supply chain

Security risks in the supply chain – A hidden threat

Suppliers today are much more than external service providers or vendors. They are an integral part of many business processes – and that makes them potential points of failure. A single partner with weak security controls can disrupt operations or lead to data breaches that affect the entire organization.

The NIST Cybersecurity Framework (NIST CSF) has acknowledged this reality since 2014. With the release of NIST 2.0, two key focus areas have been strengthened:

• Governance – clear roles, responsibilities, and decision-making structures for managing security risks
• Supply chain risk management – the need to systematically identify, assess, and control third-party risks

Supplier assessments – Complex, but essential

Structured supplier assessments are one of the key instruments for managing supply chain risks. But in practice, these assessments are often time-consuimg, inconsistent, and hard to compare.

Common challenges include:

• A lack of standardized questions and evaluation criteria
• Intransparent scoring and limited traceability in decision-making
• Time-consuming coordination with supplier contacts
• Difficulty documenting and comparing different suppliers

Supplier assessments are designed to systematically evaluate how reliable and secure an external partner truly is. In the realm of information security, the goal is to identify vulnerabilities early – before they can negatively impact the organization.

A structured assessment process offers key benefits:

• Transparency and comparability of decisions
• Compliance with regulatory requirements and internal standards
• Early detection of potential risks or compliance gaps
• A strategic foundation for evaluating and managing third-party relationships

Supplier assessments are not a one-time exercise

A one-off assessment is not enough. Partnerships evolve: vendors introduce new technologies, personnel changes occur, or certifications lapse. Any of these can impact the security posture – and thereby the risk exposure for your business.

That’s why supplier assessments should be part of a continuous security process. Recommended practices include:

• Regular re-assessments, e.g. annually or based on specific triggers
• Automated reminders to keep information up to date
• Escalation processes when responses are delayed or risks are identified

Tools like fortControl support this process with version control, historical tracking, and integrated reporting – helping maintain a clear overview of your supplier landscape over time.

Digital tools to support the process: A look at fortControl

Modern tools can help structure and simplify the supplier assessment process. fortControl is a platform designed to make supplier security evaluations more efficient.

Using standardized or customizable questionnaires, fortControl enables central collection of data on security standards, certifications, services offered, and more.

The key benefit is transparency: results are comparable, can be visualized (e.g. with radar charts), and directly linked to actionable recommendations. The result is a clear, end-to-end view of both current assessments and historical trends.

Communication with suppliers is also simplified via digital questionnaires that can be filled out and returned directly, saving time and reducing misunderstandings.

Structure builds security

Supplier assessments are no longer optional – they are a critical component of any security strategy. Organizations that can identify and actively manage risks early not only increase their resilience but also gain a competitive edge.

Whether through internally developed processes or the use of specialized tools, the key is establish a clear structure, set expectations, and consistently integrate results into decision-making.

Because one thing is certain: the next vulnerability might not be in your own systems – but somewhere in your supply chain.