Security due diligence
Software Security Due Diligence Before Vendor Selection
For CISOs, security, procurement and IT
Security diligence is most useful before commercial momentum makes changing direction expensive. A governed technology decision should identify security requirements early, distinguish general trust information from organisation-specific assurance and route formal commitments to accountable security owners.
Define material security requirements early
Identity, data handling, access, logging, resilience and assurance needs should be identified before supplier selection where they can materially affect eligibility.
Separate public guidance from formal assurance
A public trust page can explain architecture and governance at a high level. Questionnaires, contractual controls, exceptions and customer-specific requirements require validated evidence and accountable responses.
Record residual risk
Passing security review does not mean risk disappears. Material residual risks, compensating controls and accepted exceptions should remain traceable in the decision.
Questions buyers ask
Practical questions, bounded answers.
Should security review happen after the shortlist?
Material security requirements should be identified before the shortlist hardens. Detailed assurance can continue later, but late discovery of gating issues creates avoidable rework.
Can a chatbot complete our security questionnaire?
It can help route or pre-structure information, but formal organisation-specific assurance responses should be validated by the accountable security owner.
Need to apply this to a real decision?
Move from general guidance to a governed decision context.
PROVE TDI structures the requirements, evidence, alternatives, uncertainty and accountable conclusion for a specific enterprise technology decision.