What is a cybersecurity questionnaire?

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A cybersecurity questionnaire is a form designed to evaluate the strength of an organization's cybersecurity programs. Typically a prominent part of the vendor due diligence process, this written self-assessment helps organizations better understand the potential risks vendors and third-parties present to the business. Key areas to cover within a security questionnaire include information security management, business continuity and disaster recovery, network management, and regulatory compliance.

Sample Cybersecurity Questionnaire

1. Do you have a formal information security program in place?

This type of program provides the framework for risk assessment, mitigation, and cybersecurity planning. It is important that a vendor has an information security program.

2. Is security testing performed by a qualified third-party vendor? How often are these tests performed and what was the date of the last test?

It is important to ensure each of your vendors has regularly scheduled security or penetration tests performed by a qualified third-party to ensure their environment is secure and if not, figure out where to patch vulnerabilities.

3. How is data protected as it is in transit and at rest?

Data encryption is important in keeping critical data safe from cybercriminals.

4. Are all employees and contractors required to complete security training courses?

Organizations should provide security awareness training to any employee or contractor that uses their systems. This limits insider threats and user errors that could be harmful to IT infrastructure and information security.

5. How do you perform third-party due diligence with vendors and contractors?

For vendors who have access to data, it is important to have third-party due diligence practices in place to ensure they maintain a secure environment that will ensure your information is kept out of harm's way.

6. Is there a risk management and disaster recovery program in place?

Proper incident handling is imperative in the event of a breach. Organizations must have breach notifications enabled so that attacks can be analyzed, prioritized, and addressed before further damage is done.