Proactive vendor security accelerates the sales cycle

A leading provider of healthcare IT services frequently asks for and receives security information from its vendors. When they received a Whistic Profile in response to their query, they knew they had to give it a closer look. In the past, they had seen such detailed security documentation from vendors like Google or AWS, but not from their smaller vendors.

“This company we were looking at to do some analytics work on our platform sent us a Profile with a bunch of supporting documents, certifications, and four or five different questionnaires like SIG and Cloud Security Alliance,” said the security officer. “It was everything I needed, and I only had to go back to answer specific questions about how their application worked that wasn’t in the documentation.”

The impact of this interaction is that the purchasing company didn’t have to send a questionnaire to their vendor and wait for their response. They received the needed information prior to even asking. This made analysis, selection and implementation much faster than previous vendor interactions.

Leave a good impression

It always leaves a good impression when you can come into an interaction with a new prospect or customer and look prepared. The longer it takes you to respond to vendor assessment requests, the worse you’re going to look.

“If I could answer questions before I’m even asked and that’s just part of the regular sales motion, that’s exactly what I’d like to see,” related the security officer . “If you’re up front and share your security with them when they start the process, they’re going to be more comfortable right off the bat.”

Deliver security documentation in context

There are several third-party security ratings that provide additional insight to customers evaluating SaaS vendors, but they may not always tell the whole story. “Third party platforms are gathering information about me without any context,” concluded the security officer. “I have no control over what they show or what is displayed, but I still have to answer to it. Finding a platform that is more vendor-centric like Whistic is cool.”

Whistic gives companies the ability to gather and present their security information in an organized and controlled environment. A Whistic Profile can contain standard questionnaires like CAIQ-Lite, SIG, VSA and many more, but can also contain audits, certifications, and other supporting documents. You also control who has access to your Profile and for how long, and you can even incorporate an NDA as part of the experience.

Trust and transparency are driving forces in business today. A Whistic Profile enables clear communication of security posture between parties and helps build trust quickly.

How would quick and accurate sharing of security information help your business grow? Learn more at www.whistic.com.