What is a Security Questionnaire? | UpGuard

**Executive Summary:** This document provides a practical guide to designing and responding to vendor security questionnaires—covering industry-standard templates (CIS, CAIQ, NIST 800-171, SIG, VSAQ, ISO 27001), best practices for efficiency and recordkeeping, and complementary assessment methods (security ratings, SOC 2, continuous monitoring). It also discusses AI approaches to automating questionnaires (DIY, commercial AI tools, and UpGuard Trust Exchange) and positions Trust Exchange as a cost-effective platform to reduce response time, improve accuracy, and centralize security documentation.