How to Make Sure Your Vendors Are as Secure as They Say

June 2, 2025

You rely on your vendors to conduct business, but these vendors are just as susceptible to cyberattacks as your business is. How can you make sure you’re working with vendors who prioritize security? That’s what we’re covering in today’s blog.

How to Determine Your Vendors’ Level of Security

Know Who You’re Working With

Understand that any vendor you work with will have access to a certain amount of information for your business. Make sure you keep a list of who’s doing what for you, as well as what data they can access. Furthermore, make sure that these vendors are handling that access responsibly, and don’t offer more permissions than necessary.

Do Your Due Diligence

Take some time to get to know your vendors, including how they operate and maintain their security. Use a checklist during these interviews to help you assess their policies and procedures. Remember to base your decisions on what your vendors actually do for security, not what they claim to do, and you should routinely assess whether the current arrangements are working for your organization.

Understand Your Contracts

Comb through any contracts with scrutiny to know what your vendors are liable for in the event of a data breach or other similar cybersecurity incident. The last thing you want is to be caught off-guard by stipulations you weren’t even aware of in the first place, or a vendor shadily (and legally) passing the blame elsewhere.

Operate on a “Need to Know” Basis

Your vendors should also operate under the principle of least privilege, where you only give them access to the tools and resources they absolutely need for their roles and responsibilities. Give them just enough of what they need to provide the services you expect from them. This keeps a cyberattack from disrupting too much should one actually occur.

Go Ahead with Your Plans

Don’t make decisions regarding your vendors haphazardly. If you’re satisfied with a vendor, make sure they stay ahead of trends with security and keep them in the loop should anything change along the way. It also helps to check in with them during any major widespread cybersecurity issue to see what they’re doing about it.

First Column IT can help your business stay ahead of vendor security with our managed services. Learn more today by calling us at (571) 470-5594.

‍

Bloatware is Annoying: What You Can Do About It

Most computers these days will come with their fair share of bloatware, i.e. unwanted software that comes preinstalled on the operating system by the developers. While the developers do tend to get paid for including bloatware with their operating systems, there is often no need for it, leading users to question why it’s there and what to do about it.

March 18, 2024

VoIP Can Be a Powerful Communications Solution for Your SMB

Does your business effectively use its technology for communication and telecommunications? Your typical business phone system is a costly solution. Thankfully, developments in favor of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) mean that it’s a more cost-effective solution for most SMBs. Not only can you implement the solutions you know and love, but you can integrate with other effective technologies like video conferencing and remote communications to create a much more effective phone system.

March 15, 2024

AI Can Push the Needle for Small Businesses

Artificial intelligence is no longer confined to use by industry leaders. Small businesses increasingly recognize AI's transformative potential to boost efficiency, enhance customer experiences, and drive innovative strategies. Let’s explore three of the most popular ways small businesses use AI to improve their operations.

Welcome to the First Column IT Tech Blog