VULN-04

Have your systems and applications had a third-party security assessment completed in the last year?

Explanation

This question is asking whether your organization has engaged an independent third party to evaluate the security of your systems and applications within the past 12 months. A third-party security assessment is when an external company or consultant (not affiliated with your organization) conducts a comprehensive review of your IT environment to identify security vulnerabilities, weaknesses, or compliance gaps. Why this is asked in security assessments: 1. Independent verification: Third-party assessments provide an unbiased evaluation of your security posture, free from internal biases or blind spots. 2. Expertise: External security firms often have specialized expertise and tools that may not be available in-house. 3. Due diligence: Regular assessments demonstrate a commitment to security and proactive risk management. 4. Compliance requirements: Many regulatory frameworks (like PCI DSS, HIPAA, SOC 2) require or recommend regular third-party security assessments. When answering this question, you should: - Be specific about what type of assessment was performed (penetration test, vulnerability assessment, code review, etc.) - Mention when it was conducted (exact date or month/year) - Name the third-party firm that performed it (if possible) - Briefly describe the scope of the assessment - Note any significant findings and remediation efforts - If you haven't had an assessment in the last year, explain why and when you plan to conduct one

Example Responses

Example Response 1

Yes, our systems and applications underwent a comprehensive third-party security assessment in March 2023 conducted by SecureWorks The assessment included external and internal penetration testing, web application security testing, and a cloud configuration review of our AWS environment The assessment identified three medium-severity vulnerabilities and five low-severity issues All medium-severity findings were remediated within 30 days of the report, and the low-severity issues were addressed in our regular security improvement cycle We maintain a formal remediation tracking process and can provide an executive summary of the assessment results upon request.

Example Response 2

Yes, we engage multiple third-party security firms throughout the year for different assessment activities In the past 12 months, we have completed: (1) A full penetration test by NCC Group in January 2023 covering our core applications and infrastructure; (2) A source code security review by Veracode in August 2022 for our customer-facing applications; and (3) A cloud security assessment by Coalfire in November 2022 focusing on our Azure environment All critical and high findings have been remediated, with medium findings scheduled according to our risk management process We maintain all assessment reports and remediation documentation as part of our security program and can provide relevant details under NDA.

Example Response 3

No, we have not completed a formal third-party security assessment within the last 12 months Our last assessment was conducted by CyberDefense Partners 18 months ago While we have robust internal security testing processes, including regular vulnerability scanning and internal code reviews, we recognize the importance of independent verification We have already contracted with BlackHills Security to conduct a comprehensive assessment scheduled to begin next month This assessment will include penetration testing, application security testing, and a review of our security controls We've prioritized this initiative based on customer feedback and our commitment to maintaining a strong security posture.

Context

Tab: Infrastructure
Category: Vulnerability Management