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How Third Party Cyber Risk Can Bring Your Network Down

By: Dave Kelly, Chief Technology Officer

Summary

TL;DR:

  • High Third-Party Risk: Nearly 1 in 3 data breaches involve a supplier or vendor, with attacks occurring every 38 seconds.
  • Supply Chain Vulnerability: Your network security is only as strong as your least secure supplier, creating chain reaction risks.
  • Management Challenges: Most organizations rely on outdated spreadsheets and limited visibility, making vendor risk hard to manage.
  • SensCy Solution: Provides ongoing vulnerability scans, a central scoring dashboard, and hands-on support to improve supplier security.
  • Vendor Security Importance: Weak third-party security can serve as a “backdoor” into your network; a SensCy Score helps identify and prioritize risky vendors.

Every 38 seconds, a supplier, vendor, or consultant experiences a cyberattack. This statistic highlights the growing threat of third-party cyber risks, proving that threats often originate outside your immediate network.

According to the 2025 Verizon DBIR, nearly 1 in 3 breaches involve a third-party partner. That means you’re only as secure as your least secure supplier, said Dave Kelly, CTO & Co-Founder, SensCy. As the landscape evolves, supply chain vulnerabilities have become one of the top Four Cyber Risk Trends to Watch.

Why It’s So Hard to Manage

Added Kelly: “Most organizations don’t have a clean process for this. They’re stuck with limited visibility into how secure their vendors are.”

Many companies rely on manual processes, like one-time spreadsheets and questionnaires, rather than following a practical guide for third-party vendor risk management. “And no real path to help vendors improve over time. It’s chaotic and inefficient—and it leaves organizations exposed,” he said in an interview on MITech TV.

What’s SensCy’s Solution?

To effectively implement Third-Party Cyber Risk Management and safeguard your supply chain, SensCy provides:

  • A SensCy Score for each of your suppliers
  • Ongoing vulnerability scans
  • A central dashboard to track all supplier scores
  • And hands-on support for suppliers that need help improving

“It’s not just about flagging risk—it’s about helping your suppliers get better, which strengthens your entire operation,” Kelly noted.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. Why are third-party vendors a security risk?

Third-party vendors often have access to your network or data to perform their services. If their security is weak, hackers can compromise the vendor first and use that access as a “backdoor” into your company, bypassing your internal defenses.

2. What is the Verizon DBIR mentioned in the article?

The Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR) is an annual publication that analyzes thousands of real-world cybersecurity incidents. It provides critical statistics on how breaches happen, including the finding that nearly 30% of breaches involve external partners.

3. Why are spreadsheets bad for vendor risk management?

Spreadsheets provide only a snapshot in time. A vendor might be secure the day they fill out a questionnaire, but a new vulnerability could emerge the next day. Spreadsheets fail to provide the continuous, real-time visibility required to stop modern threats.

4. How does a “SensCy Score” help?

A SensCy Score quantifies the cyber health of a vendor, giving you an immediate, easy-to-understand metric. This allows organizations to quickly identify which suppliers are risky and require immediate attention or remediation support.

To learn more about the SensCy score process, and to sign up for a free evaluation, click here.

Dave Kelly, SensCy CTO, Explains How Third Party Cyber Risk Can Bring Your Network Down

Dave Kelly interviewed by Mike Brennan, MITECHNEWS

The SensCy Solution

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