Close Encounters of the Third- (and Fourth-) Party Kind: The Blog

This research brief analyzes data from 230,000+ organizations to quantify third- and fourth-party exposure and risk. Key findings: 98% of organizations had at least one vendor breach in the past two years; the typical organization has about 10 direct vendors and 60–90 times more fourth parties; and organizations with failing SecurityScorecard ratings tend to have significantly more vendor relationships. The report highlights the importance of continuous third- and fourth-party risk management to reduce indirect exposure.