Our Cybersecurity Mission: The Vendor Management Episode

In this episode, host Allie Krings sits down with Bob Welch, an auditor at KirkpatrickPrice with a background spanning large national accounting firms, banks, and risk and compliance work, to break down vendor management — and why it matters more than most organizations realize. What's the difference between vendor management, vendor due diligence, and third-party risk management? (Spoiler: not much.) Bob walks through how to categorize your vendors, what to look for when reviewing their audit reports, and why the CrowdStrike incident is a perfect example of why annual re-evaluations aren't optional. He also shares a real story of a vendor that had no documentation, no audit reports, and was storing client data overseas — and why that was an immediate deal-breaker. Whether you're just starting to think about vendor risk or looking to tighten up a program you already have, this conversation is a practical reminder that if it's your data, it's your problem.

At KirkpatrickPrice, we're on a mission to help 10,000 organizations raise the bar for cybersecurity and compliance. Join Our Cybersecurity Mission. If you're going to invest in an audit, it should deliver real value. That's why we partner with you from audit readiness to final report, ensuring you get the assurance you deserve.

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