CISO Tradecraft®

#269 - Changing Third Party Risk Management (with Nate Lee)

Jan 26, 2026
Nate Lee, a former CISO and founder of TrustMind who builds smarter third-party risk tools. He talks about why bloated questionnaires slow deals and miss real risk. He explores automating assessments, using AI to surface meaningful gaps, and tailoring questions to data sensitivity. He highlights pushing vendors to fix critical controls and tracking commitments after contract signing.
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INSIGHT

Questionnaires Became Default And Dysfunctional

  • Questionnaires became the default response to outsourcing and cloud adoption but often miss what matters.
  • They evolved organically and now create noise that buries real risk signals.
ADVICE

Use Contract Leverage To Reduce Risk

  • Assume you'll use the vendor and identify points of leverage to reduce risk before signing.
  • Require concrete fixes (e.g., enforce unfishable MFA for admins) and verify commitments later.
INSIGHT

Cut Points Depend On Context

  • Risk tolerance and vendor acceptance depend on business context and data sensitivity.
  • TPRM teams must tailor requirements to the organization's risk profile.
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