STGRC Governance Playbook: Phase 3 – Supply Chain and Oversight

Even if your internal program is strong, cybersecurity is only as secure as your weakest vendor. Phase 3 of the STGRC Governance Playbook shifts focus outward to the supply chain and to oversight practices that ensure your partners and service providers do not put the business at risk.

This phase also covers how incidents are escalated and coordinated across both internal teams and third parties, ensuring accountability extends beyond your walls.

Post 9: Third-Party Risk — Why Vendors Are Often Your Biggest Weakness

Vendors have access to systems and data that can expose your business to risk. Learn how to classify suppliers, perform due diligence, and integrate vendor risks into enterprise risk management.

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Post 10: Security Clauses Every Contract Should Contain

A contract is your first line of defense with a supplier. Discover the critical security clauses that must be in every agreement to enforce accountability and protect your data.

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Post 11: Building an Incident Escalation Matrix That Includes Vendors

When incidents occur, vendors must be part of the response. Explore how to design an escalation process that ensures suppliers notify you quickly and take part in resolution.

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Closing
Phase 3 extends governance to the supply chain, addressing one of the most common sources of breaches today. By holding vendors accountable and building oversight into contracts and incident response, businesses create resilience that spans their entire ecosystem. The final step in this journey is Phase 4 – Continuous Improvement and Board Engagement, where governance becomes a cycle of measurement, reporting, and strategic oversight at the highest levels.