SOC 2 Readiness Control
Vendor Management
Assess third parties, collect evidence proportionate to risk, and track approvals and exceptions.
Why auditors care
Triage and evidence by tier
Demonstrate clear ownership, evidence, and cadence to show this control operates consistently.
What to implement
- •Assign an owner and set a review cadence.
- •Document the policy, procedure, and escalation path.
- •Track exceptions with remediation dates.
Evidence auditors expect
- •Dated records of reviews or approvals.
- •Screenshots/exports showing configurations and coverage.
- •Tickets proving remediation or follow-up.
Common mistakes
- •Unowned control with no cadence.
- •Evidence not tied to who/when/what changed.
- •No process for exceptions or emergency changes.
FAQ
What auditors ask
Vendor inventory, risk tiers, evidence by tier (SOC/ISO, DPAs), and reassessment cadence.
Mistakes
Same evidence for every vendor, no subprocessor visibility, or missing follow-up dates.