Vendor Security Assessments: Calculating Your ROI

Vendor Security Assessments: Calculating Your ROI

Vendor Security Assessments: Calculating Your ROI

Okay, so youre thinkin about vendor security assessments, right? (Smart move, by the way). But, like, how do you figure out if youre gettin your moneys worth?

Vendor Security Assessments: Calculating Your ROI - managed service new york

ROI, baby! Return on Investment! managed it security services provider Its not always straightforward, you see.

Vendor Security Assessments: Calculating Your ROI - managed service new york

You cant just say, "We spent X, and nothing bad happened, so all is well!" Thats... a bit simplistic, dontcha think?


Firstly, lets not forget what were tryin to avoid. managed services new york city Breaches, data leaks, fines, reputational damage (ouch!) – these things cost a fortune. managed services new york city Neglecting vendor security is not a good idea, trust me.


So, how do we actually calculate this ROI? Well, its a blend of hard numbers and, uh, educated guessing.


One piece of the puzzle is looking at the potential cost of a breach. managed it security services provider Think about it: what data do your vendors have access to? Whats the regulatory penalty for a leak of that information? What would it cost to notify customers?

Vendor Security Assessments: Calculating Your ROI - check

What about legal fees, public relations, and downtime? managed services new york city (Thats a big chunk, usually). You can get some rough estimates from industry reports and past incidents.


Next up: the cost of the assessment itself. This includes the price you pay the assessment provider (or the internal teams time), plus the time your own staff spend preparing for and responding to the assessment. Dont forget the cost of implementing any recommended fixes!


Now, the tricky part is estimating the probability of a breach with and without the assessment. This is where the educated guessing comes in. You need to consider the vendors inherent risk profile (what they do, who they are), the effectiveness of their existing security controls, and the impact of the assessment on improving those controls. Did the assessment reveal serious vulnerabilities that were then fixed? Thats a big win!


Heres a simplified example:



Expected loss without assessment: $1,000,000 0.10 = $100,000
Expected loss with assessment: $1,000,000
0.02 = $20,000
Savings: $100,000 - $20,000 = $80,000
ROI: ($80,000 - $50,000) / $50,000 = 60%


So, in this example, youd be lookin at a 60% ROI. Not bad, eh?


However, dont forget the intangibles! Improved vendor relationships, enhanced reputation, increased customer trust – these are all benefits that are hard to quantify but definitely add value.


The key takeaway? Vendor security assessments are an investment, not an expense.

Vendor Security Assessments: Calculating Your ROI - managed it security services provider

managed service new york By carefully calculating the potential costs of a breach and the impact of the assessment, you can demonstrate the value of your program and make sure youre gettin the best bang for your buck!

Vendor Security Assessments: Calculating Your ROI - managed services new york city

It aint perfect, but its better than nothin!