Defense in depth = Process rich in depth

There’s a saying in engineering: “If your team isn’t talking about the process, it’s because it works.”

Whether through Agile methodologies, lean principles, sprints, or CI/CD pipelines, engineering has perfected the art of transforming complexity into efficiency. Teams move seamlessly from code to deployment, shipping daily— not by chance, but through clear, codified systems that allow them to build quickly, synchronize better, and ship while keeping chaos at bay.

This is the kind of structured thinking security teams desperately need, especially when it comes to vendor security assessments (VSAQs)—arguably one of the most basic yet essential tasks for any security team.

Sure, creating any security process is not easy. It’s never merely an operational step; it must be a careful balancing act. Every security process serves as a test of fit: How do you create a framework that protects the business without disrupting its operations? Yet security often falls victim to time-old, tactical behaviors that yield a string of isolated tasks—testing controls, collecting evidence, filling RFPs, sending security questionnaires, you name it— and rarely efficient systems. Many security tasks, especially VSAQs, are handled reactively— typically cobbled together through manual efforts in Excel sheets and PDFs. This patchwork process is inconsistent, with variations in how questionnaires are created, sent, and tracked. Oversights are common: questions are missed, the right responders overlooked, and crucial steps fall through the cracks. Such a fragmented approach invites vulnerabilities, leaving gaps that only a more disciplined, systematic approach could help secure.

To achieve true due diligence, even tasks as fundamental as VSAQs require the meticulousness of an engineering project. Each phase should be standardized, thoroughly planned, and executed in a systematic manner if only to ensure that depth is woven into the assessment process. When VSAQs are embedded within a solid framework, security teams can fulfill their mission of diligence — uncovering risks and opportunities with clarity and confidence.

An assessment’s integrity is only as strong as the method by which it’s conducted.

The stakes have never been higher. According to Gartner, nearly 60% of organizations will rely on external partners for core IT and operational needs by 2025. As this reliance grows, so does exposure to new and rigorous risks. A single weak link, left unchecked, can lead to catastrophic breaches.

While these risks are not unknown to them, many security teams approach vendor security assessments the usual way— error-prone, manual processes that often start from scratch. This results in critical gaps in due diligence, undermining the integrity of the assessment. Without a thoughtful, structured approach to VSAQs, these assessments devolve into mere checklist exercises rather than comprehensive evaluations of a vendor’s security posture.

Depth in process, Depth in due diligence

The depth of a vendor security assessment lies not only in its final questionnaire or technical audit but also in the processes that create, administer, and analyze that questionnaire.

Simply sending out a VSAQ is no longer sufficient. The demands of today’s notorious risk landscape and complex cloud environments call for a process as rigorous as the assessment itself. This is where Sprinto’s approach to vendor security shines.

Sprinto views every layer of the VSAQ process as an essential safeguard—one that must be systematic, comprehensive, and centralized. The platform empowers security and vendor management teams to do thorough and consistent VSAQs, supported by smart automation, workflows, and efficiency systems at every stage.

From creating standardized templates and sending requests centrally to generating findings and integrating vendor risks into the risk register, Sprinto’s integrated capabilities ensure that each step is underpinned by a thoughtful and thorough process. Here, depth becomes not just an aim, but an achievement.

With baked-in, customizable questionnaire templates and an intuitive collaboration tool, you can easily send relevant VSAQs to your vendors in one streamlined process.

Automated reminders to vendors ensure the task of filling out the questionnaire does not fall through the cracks. Once a filled VSAQ is submitted, vendor managers and platform admins receive it directly in their inboxes for quick review. After evaluation, vendor managers can easily log any identified risks in the Sprinto risk register, implementing necessary controls to mitigate potential risks.

These benefits arise from a cohesive, user-friendly platform that integrates all VSAQ and due diligence process essentials in one place. A seamless approach, Sprinto eliminates back-and-forth communication and screen toggling, allowing vendor management teams to focus on what truly matters: managing vendor intake and onbaording effectively while safeguarding against risks.

Making depth in due diligence the standard

Whether Agile, Lean, or Sprint, almost every engineering methodology is about momentum. Each one ensures that processes—like incremental builds, automated code reviews, or rapid rollbacks on failed tests— happen at speed and scale, keeping teams in a steady rhythm of shipping. The goal is progress: helping teams to gradually take on more ambitious, complex work and evolving from managing individual components to shaping the bigger picture.

As security teams look for ways to make their work less routine and more impactful, they can take a leaf from the engineering playbook to rethink their approach. VSAQs, in particular, could benefit from this shift— and might even be the best place to start.

A superficial approach to VSAQs invites risks rather than mitigates them. Sprinto’s platform challenges this limitation by placing depth at the forefront, transforming it from an exception to the norm.

A well-structured VSAQ process resembles intricate choreography: every step is purposeful and executed with precision. At a time when a single vulnerability can spiral into a poly crisis, organizations must approach vendor security assessments with a depth of care that reflects the gravity of the risks.

Defense in depth is more than a technical strategy; it marks an organizational commitment to meticulous processes, intentional structure, and unwavering attention to detail.

Sprinto’s integrated VSAQ platform redefines vendor security assessments as structured, purpose-built exercises, ensuring that diligence is integrated into every step of the process, not just the final one.

When vendor security assessments shift from a checklist to a thoughtful process, organizations enjoy the assurance that they are not just checking a box but doing diligence right.

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