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Free Cybersecurity & Privacy Template

Free Vendor Security Review Template

Download a free vendor security review template in Word, PDF, or Markdown. Or turn any video into vendor security review template with Docsie AI — auto-fills every required field.

Vendor Overview Data Processed Security Controls Compliance Risks Approval Decision

Vendor Security Review

Use this template to security and privacy review for third-party vendors.

Template Metadata

Field Details
Category Cybersecurity & Privacy
Owner [Team or owner]
Version [Version number]
Effective Date [Date]
Review Cycle [Monthly / Quarterly / Annual / Event-based]
Status [Draft / In Review / Approved]

Vendor Overview

Describe the service, business owner, use case, and contract status.

Item Details Owner Status
[Item or requirement] [Describe the relevant detail, evidence, or decision] [Owner] [Open / Complete]
[Item or requirement] [Describe the relevant detail, evidence, or decision] [Owner] [Open / Complete]

Notes

[Add context, assumptions, exceptions, evidence links, screenshots, calculations, or reviewer comments.]

Data Processed

Identify data categories, sensitivity, residency, retention, and subprocessors.

Item Details Owner Status
[Item or requirement] [Describe the relevant detail, evidence, or decision] [Owner] [Open / Complete]
[Item or requirement] [Describe the relevant detail, evidence, or decision] [Owner] [Open / Complete]

Notes

[Add context, assumptions, exceptions, evidence links, screenshots, calculations, or reviewer comments.]

Security Controls

Assess authentication, encryption, logging, vulnerability management, and access control.

Item Details Owner Status
[Item or requirement] [Describe the relevant detail, evidence, or decision] [Owner] [Open / Complete]
[Item or requirement] [Describe the relevant detail, evidence, or decision] [Owner] [Open / Complete]

Notes

[Add context, assumptions, exceptions, evidence links, screenshots, calculations, or reviewer comments.]

Compliance

Summarize SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR, HIPAA, or other relevant attestations.

Item Details Owner Status
[Item or requirement] [Describe the relevant detail, evidence, or decision] [Owner] [Open / Complete]
[Item or requirement] [Describe the relevant detail, evidence, or decision] [Owner] [Open / Complete]

Notes

[Add context, assumptions, exceptions, evidence links, screenshots, calculations, or reviewer comments.]

Risks

List security, privacy, operational, and contractual risks with severity.

Item Details Owner Status
[Item or requirement] [Describe the relevant detail, evidence, or decision] [Owner] [Open / Complete]
[Item or requirement] [Describe the relevant detail, evidence, or decision] [Owner] [Open / Complete]

Notes

[Add context, assumptions, exceptions, evidence links, screenshots, calculations, or reviewer comments.]

Approval Decision

State approved, conditionally approved, or rejected with required actions. Use concise evidence-based findings and note missing documentation clearly.

Item Details Owner Status
[Item or requirement] [Describe the relevant detail, evidence, or decision] [Owner] [Open / Complete]
[Item or requirement] [Describe the relevant detail, evidence, or decision] [Owner] [Open / Complete]

Notes

[Add context, assumptions, exceptions, evidence links, screenshots, calculations, or reviewer comments.]

Template Guide

How to Use the Vendor Security Review Template

When to Use This Template

Deploy this template before onboarding third-party vendors or during annual recertification cycles.

  • New SaaS procurement requiring security committee approval
  • Annual vendor risk reassessment mandated by compliance frameworks
  • Post-incident vendor audit triggered by breach or outage

What This Template Covers

This template produces a structured security assessment covering compliance, controls, and risk exposure.

  • Vendor overview with contract status and data flow mapping
  • Security controls evaluation including encryption, authentication, and logging practices
  • Compliance attestations review for SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR, HIPAA

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

Teams often skip critical documentation checks or apply inconsistent risk severity scoring methods.

  • Accepting vendor self-attestations without verifying third-party audit reports
  • Ignoring subprocessor chains that introduce unvetted fourth-party risk
  • Rating all risks as medium, diluting urgency for critical vulnerabilities

Template Structure

What the Vendor Security Review Template Includes

Use this cybersecurity & privacy template as a starting point, then customize each section to match your internal workflow, evidence, and signoff needs.

1

Vendor Overview

Describe the service, business owner, use case, and contract status.

2

Data Processed

Identify data categories, sensitivity, residency, retention, and subprocessors.

3

Security Controls

Assess authentication, encryption, logging, vulnerability management, and access control.

4

Compliance

Summarize SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR, HIPAA, or other relevant attestations.

5

Risks

List security, privacy, operational, and contractual risks with severity.

6

Approval Decision

State approved, conditionally approved, or rejected with required actions. Use concise evidence-based findings and note missing documentation clearly.

Recommended Structure

Write a vendor security review for [vendor]. Structure with these Markdown sections:

Vendor Overview

Describe the service, business owner, use case, and contract status.

Data Processed

Identify data categories, sensitivity, residency, retention, and subprocessors.

Security Controls

Assess authentication, encryption, logging, vulnerability management, and access control.

Compliance

Summarize SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR, HIPAA, or other relevant attestations.

Risks

List security, privacy, operational, and contractual risks with severity.

Approval Decision

State approved, conditionally approved, or rejected with required actions.

Use concise evidence-based findings and note missing documentation clearly.

Example Filled Template

Vendor Security Review: Acme Analytics

Vendor Overview

Acme Analytics provides product usage dashboards for the Growth team. The requested integration sends workspace events and account identifiers.

Data Processed

Data Type Sensitivity Retention
Account ID Internal 24 months
User email Personal data 24 months
Event metadata Internal 24 months

Security Controls

  • SSO and SCIM supported.
  • Data encrypted in transit and at rest.
  • Audit logs available on enterprise plan.

Compliance

SOC 2 Type II report received, covering Security and Availability criteria.

Risks

Risk Severity Mitigation
User email sent by default Medium Hash email before export

Approval Decision

Conditionally approved pending DPA signature and email hashing configuration.

Video to Document

Turn Video Into Vendor Security Review

Already have a walkthrough or training video covering this process? Skip manual drafting. Upload the video and Docsie AI generates vendor security review template with every required field populated — ready for review, signoff, or export.

Use the template manually, or let Docsie generate the first draft from source footage.

DOCX, PDF, and Markdown downloads
Works with process and training videos

Template FAQ

Vendor Security Review Template FAQ

Common questions about downloading and generating a vendor security review template.

Using This Template

Q: What is a vendor security review template?

A: A vendor security review template is a structured document for security and privacy review for third-party vendors.

Q: Is the vendor security review template really free?

A: Yes. The vendor security review template is completely free to download in Word (DOCX), PDF, and Markdown formats. No signup or credit card required to download.

Q: How do I turn a video into a vendor Security Review?

A: Upload a process walkthrough, training recording, or screen capture to Docsie. The AI analyzes the video and generates a complete vendor Security Review using this template's structure — every required field auto-filled from the footage.

Q: Can I edit the vendor security review template after downloading?

A: Yes. The DOCX format opens in Microsoft Word or Google Docs. The Markdown format imports into Notion, Confluence, Docsie, or any markdown editor. Customize fields, add your branding, and adapt to your internal workflow.