Verifiable TPRM Data
Verifiable TPRM (Third-Party Risk Management) Data refers to objective, independently observable evidence used to assess the security and operational posture of a third-party vendor. Unlike traditional risk management data, which relies on subjective questionnaires and self-attestations (what a vendor says they do), verifiable data relies on empirical facts and digital artifacts (what a vendor actually does).
In cybersecurity, verifiable data serves as a "source of truth," enabling organizations to validate vendors' security claims without relying on their word. It shifts the risk assessment model from "Trust and Verify" to "Verify, then Trust."
The Problem with Traditional TPRM Data
To understand the value of verifiable data, one must understand the flaws in traditional data collection methods. Most TPRM programs rely on Subjective Data, usually gathered via spreadsheets or platforms like SIG (Standard Information Gathering) questionnaires.
Bias and Optimism: Vendors often answer questions in the most favorable light to win a contract. A vendor might check "Yes" for "Do you encrypt data?" even if their encryption implementation is weak or partial.
Static Snapshots: A questionnaire represents a single point in time. A vendor might be secure on the day they sign the contract (Monday) but inadvertently open a firewall port on Tuesday. Traditional data misses this drift.
Lack of Proof: Subjective data rarely requires proof. It is a claim, not a fact.
Characteristics of Verifiable TPRM Data
For data to be considered "verifiable" in a TPRM context, it must meet three specific criteria:
Independently Observable: The data can be collected from the outside-in without the vendor's permission or participation (e.g., scanning public-facing IP addresses).
Evidence-Based: The data points to a concrete artifact, such as a specific software version, a legal filing, or a dark web listing, rather than a general policy statement.
Timestamped and Immutable: The data represents a specific state at a specific time that cannot be retroactively altered by the vendor.
Categories of Verifiable TPRM Data
Verifiable data spans several domains, moving beyond just technical signals to provide a holistic view of vendor risk.
1. Technical & Cyber Verifiable Data
This data comes from scanning the vendor's external attack surface.
SSL/TLS Certificates: A certificate is either valid or expired. This is a binary, verifiable fact.
Open Ports: A scan reveals that Port 3389 (RDP) is open to the public internet. This contradicts a vendor's claim that "Remote access is VPN-only."
Email Security Headers: The presence (or absence) of DMARC, SPF, and DKIM records allows an organization to verifying if a vendor is protected against domain spoofing.
2. Dark Web & Threat Intelligence Data
This data validates whether a vendor's defenses have already failed.
Compromised Credentials: If a vendor's employee email and password appear in a dark web dump, this is verifiable proof of a past breach or poor password hygiene.
Ransomware Listings: If a vendor is listed on a ransomware group's leak site, this is irrefutable evidence of a compromise, regardless of whether the vendor has publicly disclosed it.
3. Financial & Legal Verifiable Data
This data assesses the vendor's operational stability.
Bankruptcy Filings: Court records provide objective proof of financial distress, which correlates with a higher risk of security budget cuts.
Sanctions Lists: Determining if a vendor (or their subsidiary) is on a government sanctions list (e.g., OFAC) is a verifiable legal fact.
Why Verifiable Data is Critical for Modern Cybersecurity
Speed of Onboarding: Instead of waiting weeks for a vendor to return a questionnaire, security teams can pull verifiable data in minutes to make an initial "Go/No-Go" decision.
Continuous Monitoring: Verifiable data streams allow for real-time alerting. If a vendor's certificate expires tomorrow, the system detects it immediately.
Audit Defensibility: In the event of a supply chain breach, maintaining a verifiable data log demonstrates that the organization performed due diligence based on objective evidence, rather than merely accepting a vendor's promises.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does verifiable data replace questionnaires? No, it complements them. Verifiable data validates the "Technical" and "Operational" realities, while questionnaires are still needed to understand "Internal" policies (such as employee background checks) that cannot be observed from the outside.
How is verifiable data collected? It is typically collected using OSINT (Open-Source Intelligence) techniques, internet-wide scanners, public record scraping, and dark web monitoring tools.
Is verifiable data always negative? No. Verifiable data can also demonstrate a vendoris security. For example, finding a strict Content Security Policy (CSP) header on a vendor's login page is verifiable proof of a mature security posture.
ThreatNG and Verifiable TPRM Data
ThreatNG acts as the engine of truth for Third-Party Risk Management (TPRM). It automates the collection of verifiable data, transforming vendor risk assessments from subjective "Trust-based" exercises into objective "Evidence-based" audits. By continuously scanning the digital footprints of current and prospective vendors, ThreatNG provides the independently verifiable facts needed to validate security questionnaires and refute false claims.
External Discovery of the Vendor Ecosystem
You cannot verify a vendor's security if you do not know the full extent of their digital presence. ThreatNG’s External Discovery engine creates the foundational inventory required for verifiable TPRM.
Subsidiary and Shadow IT Mapping: Vendors often disclose their primary corporate domain but fail to mention less secure subsidiaries or "Shadow IT" environments. ThreatNG recursively discovers these hidden assets, providing a verifiable map of the vendor’s true attack surface. This ensures that the risk assessment covers the entire entity, not just the sanitized brochure-ware domains.
Fourth-Party Identification: ThreatNG identifies the vendor's digital supply chain. It discovers the third-party scripts and hosting providers the vendor relies on. This provides verifiable data on "Fourth-Party Risk," proving whether a vendor is outsourcing critical functions to insecure downstream partners.
External Assessment for Objective Validation
ThreatNG’s Assessment Engine replaces vendor self-attestation with empirical data. It evaluates discovered assets across multiple dimensions to provide verifiable proof of the vendor's health and hygiene.
Verifying Technical Security Claims (Technical Resources):
The Claim: A vendor states in a questionnaire, "We enforce strict encryption and keep systems patched."
The ThreatNG Verification: ThreatNG assesses the vendor's web properties. It provides verifiable evidence of expired SSL Certificates, weak cipher suites, or exposed services (like open RDP ports). If ThreatNG finds a server running an end-of-life version of Apache, it objectively disproves the vendor's patching claim.
Verifying Operational Stability (Financial & Legal Resources):
The Claim: A vendor claims, "We are financially stable and compliant."
The ThreatNG Verification: The assessment engine queries Financial Resources and Legal Resources. It retrieves verifiable records of bankruptcy filings, liens, or active litigation regarding data handling. This objective data proves that the vendor is under financial duress, a leading indicator of future security lapses, regardless of what their sales team asserts.
Investigation Modules for Deep-Dive Verification
When a potential risk is flagged, ThreatNG’s investigation modules allow risk managers to obtain the definitive proof needed to confront a vendor or terminate a contract.
Sanitized Dark Web Evidence (Dark Web Resources):
The Scenario: A vendor denies suffering a data breach.
ThreatNG Verification: An analyst uses the Sanitized Dark Web module to search for the vendor’s domain. ThreatNG retrieves a safe, sanitized image of a dark web listing where the vendor’s database is for sale. This provides irrefutable, verifiable evidence of a compromise the vendor failed to disclose, enabling the organization to immediately trigger "Breach of Contract" clauses.
Domain and Infrastructure Pivoting:
The Scenario: Suspicion that a vendor is using "Ghost" infrastructure for spam or unethical marketing.
ThreatNG Verification: Using recursive pivoting, an analyst extracts the registration details of a suspicious IP address associated with the vendor. They pivot to find a cluster of other domains registered by the vendor’s IT admin that are blacklisted for spam. This verifiable link proves the vendor engages in high-risk behavior that threatens the organization’s reputation.
Intelligence Repositories for Historical Context
Verifiable data must account for the past. ThreatNG’s Intelligence Repositories ensure that vendors cannot hide a history of negligence.
Archived Web & DNS Data: ThreatNG can retrieve the historical state of a vendor’s digital assets. If a vendor claims they "have always had a Privacy Policy," ThreatNG’s archival analysis can verify whether that policy was actually on their site six months ago. This verifiable timeline prevents gaslighting during compliance audits.
Continuous Monitoring for Drift Detection
Verifiable data is only valuable if it is current. ThreatNG’s Continuous Monitoring ensures that the "Source of Truth" remains accurate throughout the vendor lifecycle.
Real-Time Status Updates: ThreatNG continuously tracks the vendor’s external posture. If a vendor’s Reputation Score drops due to a new malware infection or if a critical port is suddenly exposed, ThreatNG updates the verifiable data record immediately.
Drift Alerting: This capability detects when a vendor drifts from a "Verified Secure" state to a "High Risk" state. It triggers an alert, prompting the organization to re-evaluate the vendor relationship in light of the new, objective reality.
Reporting as the Audit Artifact
ThreatNG consolidates verifiable data into Assessment Reports that serve as the definitive record of due diligence.
Vendor Risk Scorecards: The platform generates reports that aggregate technical, legal, and financial findings into a single verifiable risk score. These reports serve as the "Evidence Artifact" for auditors, demonstrating that the organization assessed the vendor based on objective data points rather than subjective trust.
Complementary Solutions
ThreatNG acts as the intelligence feeder that powers the broader Third-Party Risk Management ecosystem.
Vendor Risk Management (VRM) Platforms ThreatNG validates the questionnaire.
Cooperation: VRM platforms manage the workflow of sending and receiving questionnaires. ThreatNG works with these platforms by providing the validation layer. When a VRM platform receives a completed questionnaire, it can cross-reference the answers against ThreatNG’s live data feed. If the vendor answers "Yes" to encryption, but ThreatNG reports "Grade F: No HTTPS," the VRM platform flags the discrepancy for manual review.
Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) Systems ThreatNG automates evidence collection.
Cooperation: GRC systems require evidence to demonstrate compliance with standards such as ISO 27001 (Supplier Relationships). ThreatNG feeds timestamped, verifiable reports on vendor security posture directly into the GRC system. This automates the evidence-gathering process, ensuring that the GRC platform always holds current proof of vendor oversight.
Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) ThreatNG contextualizes vendor traffic.
Cooperation: ThreatNG provides the SIEM with a list of verifiable "High Risk" vendor domains and IPs. The SIEM uses this list to monitor internal traffic. If an internal employee attempts to send data to a vendor that ThreatNG has verified as "Compromised" or "Bankrupt," the SIEM can block the transfer, operationalizing the verifiable data into active defense.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does ThreatNG verify if a vendor has been breached? ThreatNG monitors Dark Web Resources and Reputation Resources. It verifies a breach by locating the actual stolen data (credentials, databases) for sale on underground markets or by identifying the vendor’s infrastructure on active malware blacklists.
Can ThreatNG verify non-technical risks? Yes. ThreatNG verifies business risks by accessing public Legal and Financial records. It provides verifiable data on lawsuits, regulatory fines, and bankruptcy proceedings, which are critical indicators of a vendor’s operational sustainability.
Does ThreatNG require the vendor’s permission to run? No. ThreatNG uses Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) and external scanning techniques that are non-intrusive and legally accessible. This allows organizations to obtain verifiable data on any vendor, at any time, without alerting them or requesting permission.
