Security questionnaires assess your security posture before customers buy. They want evidence you won't be their weak link. Respond honestly, provide evidence where requested, and have your documentation ready. Good security makes good answers easy.
Quick answer: Security questionnaires assess your security posture before customers buy. They want evidence you won't be their weak link. Respond honestly, provide evidence where requested, and have your documentation ready. Good security makes good answers easy.
Why Customers Send These
Enterprise risk management:
- Suppliers are part of their attack surface
- Regulations require supplier due diligence
- Breaches via suppliers are common
- Insurance requires supplier assessment
Common Questionnaire Types
Standard frameworks
SIG (Standardized Information Gathering)
- 800+ questions in full version
- Comprehensive coverage
- Industry standard
- Cloud-focused
- 300+ questions
- Maps to CSA CCM
- Varies by organisation
- Often custom
Custom questionnaires
Many enterprises have their own, often pulling from:- ISO 27001 controls
- NIST Cybersecurity Framework
- CIS Controls
- Industry-specific requirements
What They Ask About
Governance and policy
- Do you have security policies?
- Is there executive oversight?
- What certifications do you hold?
- How often are policies reviewed?
Access control
- How do you manage user access?
- Is MFA required?
- How are privileged accounts controlled?
- What's your access review process?
Data protection
- How is data encrypted (at rest, in transit)?
- Where is data stored?
- What's your data retention policy?
- How is data disposed of?
Incident response
- Do you have an incident response plan?
- How quickly can you detect incidents?
- How do you notify customers of breaches?
- What's your recovery capability?
Third parties
- How do you assess your vendors?
- What security requirements do you impose?
- How do you monitor third-party risk?
Technical security
- What endpoint protection do you use?
- How do you manage vulnerabilities?
- What monitoring is in place?
- What's your patching process?
Business continuity
- Do you have BCP/DR plans?
- How often do you test them?
- What's your RTO/RPO?
- Where are backups stored?
How to Respond Effectively
1. Be honest
Don't lie. If you don't do something, say so or say "N/A." Getting caught in a false answer is worse than admitting a gap.2. Provide evidence
Show, don't just tell:- Policy documents (redacted if needed)
- Certification copies
- Screenshot evidence
- Third-party attestations
3. Have standard responses ready
Create a response library:- Pre-written answers to common questions
- Evidence documents organised
- Certifications readily available
- Quick turnaround possible
4. Understand the context
Tailor responses:- What data will they share with you?
- What access will you have?
- What's the contract value?
- Proportionate detail
5. Know when to push back
Not every question applies:- Explain why N/A if appropriate
- Question relevance if excessive
- Propose alternatives
Certifications That Help
Having certifications simplifies everything:
Cyber Essentials Plus Shows baseline technical security. Recognised by UK government and increasingly required.
ISO 27001 Comprehensive management system. Enterprise gold standard. Covers governance and controls.
SOC 2 Common for SaaS/cloud providers. US-centric but globally recognised.
With certifications, many questions become: *"Yes—see attached ISO 27001 certificate and Statement of Applicability."*
Building a Response Process
Intake
- Single point of contact for questionnaires
- Triage by complexity and deadline
- Track in a central system
Response
- Standard answer library
- Subject matter experts for complex questions
- Evidence repository organised
- Quality review before submission
Follow-up
- Track customer feedback
- Update library based on common gaps
- Improve security based on trends
What We Help With
For our clients:
- Pre-built evidence for common questions
- Help completing questionnaires
- Gap identification (what you need to fix)
- Certification support
- ISO 27001 certification
- Cyber Essentials Plus
- Full documentation ready
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about improving your security posture.
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