Vendor Management

Vendor Management allows organizations to track, assess, and monitor third-party vendors that interact with their business.

This feature helps security teams maintain visibility into vendor risk by centralizing vendor records, security documentation, assessments, and external security events in a single location.

It is designed to support both operational vendor tracking and compliance-driven vendor risk management processes.

Who can use this feature?

	All Account Owners and Security Admins
	Any End Users assigned as an owner to one or more vendors
	Available on the Free, Core and Business plans

Key Features

Add Vendors

Add vendors from a predefined list or create custom vendors with key details and ownership.

Track Security Events

Monitor vendor-related security incidents and breaches using external data sources.

Manage Documents

Store and manage vendor documents such as NDAs, compliance reports, and certifications.

Perform Assessments

Evaluate vendor security using manual reviews, attestations, or questionnaires.

Classify Vendor Risk

Assign data types to vendors to determine risk level and required controls.

Vendor Assessment Methods

WatchDog supports three different approaches to evaluating vendor security:

Manual Review

Security teams answer structured questions based on publicly available vendor information.

Compliance Attestation Review

Organizations review vendor-provided compliance reports such as SOC 2 or ISO 27001.

Security Questionnaire

Vendors complete a questionnaire that is reviewed and stored within the platform.

Each method provides flexibility depending on vendor maturity and available documentation.

Vendor Data & Risk Classification

Vendors are classified based on the type of data they access or process.

Data types range from low-risk (public data) to high-risk (financial data, PHI, SPII).

This classification helps determine:

Required security controls

Assessment depth

Ongoing monitoring requirements

Selecting accurate data types is critical for proper risk evaluation.

Vendor Lifecycle

Vendor Management supports the full vendor lifecycle:

Vendor onboarding and creation

Risk classification and ownership assignment

Security documentation collection

Security assessment and review

Continuous monitoring through security events

Ongoing updates and document management

This ensures vendors remain compliant and secure over time.

Troubleshooting

Cannot Add Vendor

If a vendor cannot be added:

Ensure you have the Account Owner or Security Admin role

Verify all required fields such as Name, Owner, and Accessed Data Types are completed

For custom vendors, ensure a valid Website is provided

Documents Not Uploading

Security Events Not Visible

Assessment Cannot Be Completed

Key Features#

Vendor Assessment Methods#

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Troubleshooting#

Key Features

Vendor Assessment Methods

Vendor Data & Risk Classification

Vendor Lifecycle

Troubleshooting