By Sean Dowling, VP & Head of HITRUST, vCISO and Federal Services at Accorian

The security of your organization is only as strong as the weakest vendor in your supply chain. I've worked with dozens of companies that had solid internal security programs, only to watch their risk posture unravel due to a partner, supplier, or SaaS provider who lacked even basic controls. This isn’t rare. It’s a pattern. And it underscores a critical truth: Third-Party Risk Management (TPRM) is no longer a compliance add-on. It’s a business imperative.

The new reality: Risk is external by default

Organizations are increasingly dependent on external vendors for core operations, such as cloud services, billing platforms, development partners, and more. While this creates efficiencies and innovation, it also significantly broadens the attack surface. Recent breaches across sectors have made one thing clear: adversaries don’t need to breach your perimeter if they can exploit your ecosystem.

What’s more, regulatory expectations are evolving just as rapidly. Frameworks like HITRUST now require demonstrable vendor risk management processes. Beyond compliance, customers, investors, and insurers are also demanding assurance that third-party risk is being proactively managed.

Common gaps we see in TPRM programs

Many organizations struggle to implement a TPRM program that is both scalable and effective. Common issues include

• Over-reliance on static questionnaires that vendors can complete without validation
• Lack of tiering — treating all vendors the same regardless of their access or criticality
• Infrequent reassessment, leading to outdated risk profiles
• No integration between vendor risk and broader enterprise risk management or security operations
• Limited accountability, where no one owns vendor remediation or monitoring

These weaknesses can lead to audit findings, lost certifications, data breaches, or failed compliance programs.

How Accorian helps build and sustain effective TPRM programs

At Accorian, we approach TPRM as both a compliance requirement and a core risk discipline. We help organizations build TPRM programs that are right-sized, standards-aligned, and operationally sustainable. Here’s how we do it.

TPRM program design and framework development

We design and document the entire TPRM lifecycle tailored to your organization’s size, sector, and compliance obligations. This includes policies, procedures, workflows, roles/responsibilities, and escalation paths.

Vendor inventory and risk tiering

We work with you to develop a centralized vendor inventory and apply a tiering model based on each vendor’s access to data, systems, or business processes. This ensures high-risk vendors get the scrutiny they deserve.

Assessment tools and evidence validation

Our team helps you select or build effective assessment methods and assist with control validation, documentation review, and penetration testing. We don’t just rely on checkboxes. We help validate that what vendors say matches what they actually do.

Integration with compliance programs

We align your TPRM program with the HITRUST framework. This helps satisfy overlapping requirements efficiently and ensures your TPRM efforts directly support your audit-readiness.

Automation and technology enablement

If desired, we help select and implement vendor risk platforms or integrate TPRM into existing GRC tools. We ensure the processes are technology-enabled, not technology-driven, so they remain practical and user-friendly.

Ongoing monitoring and vCISO support

Through our vCISO services, we provide ongoing vendor monitoring, reassessment scheduling, contract language reviews, and support for vendor incidents or escalations. We act as an extension of your security leadership team to keep your TPRM program active and accountable.

How HITRUST strengthens TPRM

One of the biggest challenges in third-party risk management is not just trust — but trust backed by validation. This is where HITRUST comes in. The HITRUST framework provides a common, certifiable standard that vendors can use to demonstrate their security and compliance posture. For organizations managing dozens or even hundreds of vendors, HITRUST assessments dramatically reduce the guesswork and overhead of vendor due diligence.

Benefits of leveraging HITRUST for TPRM include

Consistency

Vendors are measured against the same control framework, eliminating the variability of one-off questionnaires.

Assurance through validation

HITRUST certifications are independently validated, giving you higher confidence that controls are in place and operating effectively.

Efficiency

Accepting HITRUST reports in lieu of custom assessments reduces the time and resources required to evaluate vendors.

Alignment with regulations

Because HITRUST maps to HIPAA, NIST, ISO, PCI, and other standards, vendor certifications help meet multiple compliance obligations at once.

Risk reduction

Using HITRUST as a benchmark helps you quickly identify vendors with weak or missing controls, so you can prioritize remediation or make better sourcing decisions.

Tiering

HITRUST offers different assessment options suited for different vendors based on their sizes, risk profiles, and business needs.

In short, HITRUST provides a scalable, standards-based foundation for building trust across your vendor ecosystem. When embedded into your TPRM program, it enables organizations to move beyond box-checking exercises and toward real, evidence-based assurance.

Final thought: TPRM is the new frontline

A strong internal security posture is not enough. Without a mature TPRM program, you are leaving the door wide open to risks that are out of your direct control, but not out of your responsibility.

If your organization is unsure where to begin, has stalled progress, or is facing audit pressure, Accorian can help you build a program that not only satisfies compliance but also protects your business with the HITRUST approach. TPRM is a journey, and we help you navigate it every step of the way.