Managing Customer Assurance: Insights to streamline security reviews and build trust

With rising security threats and more customers demanding transparency around vendors’ security postures, customer assurance has become an important step to building trust.

The Ultimate Guide to Managing Customer Assurance and Security Reviews highlights how traditional processes fall short—and why innovative approaches like integrated security portals are the future. Here are the key takeaways:

The Problem: Traditional Security Reviews Are Outdated

Security reviews—critical evaluations of an organization’s security posture—have become increasingly burdensome as customer complexities and expectations grow.

Tejas Ranade, Chief Product Officer at TrustCloud, explains:

“A traditional security review process involves a repetitive loop between the sales and security teams, which can drag out for months.”

These reviews present several challenges:

• Time and Cost Intensive: Manual efforts can take weeks or months, stalling deals and draining resources.
• Increased Involvement of CISOs: CISOs are pulled into calls, presentations, and revisions at the expense of other priorities.
• Compliance Risks: Sharing outdated or inaccurate data can lead to legal and financial repercussions.

A GRC leader at a global services organization echoes the frustration:

“Every time a customer requests an audit, it’s not just filling out a form. We do presentations, provide specific evidence, and revise materials. It’s exhausting and time-consuming.”

The Solution: Integrated Security Portals and Virtual Audits

The guide introduces a game-changing solution: integrated security portals that enable real-time transparency, automate security questionnaires, and provide virtual audit capabilities.

Key Benefits of Integrated Security Portals

1. Speed and Efficiency
   Virtual audits and automated questionnaires significantly reduce manual effort. Tejas highlights:“Virtual audits reduce the number of security questionnaires by over half, and AI can answer up to 80% of these questionnaires in hours instead of weeks.”
   For Gremlin, this was transformative. Skyler Sampson, Lead Security Architect, shares:

   “Before TrustShare, a 400-question questionnaire would take me 14 to 18 hours. Now, we’re averaging an hour and a half. It has made my personal life phenomenally different.”

2. Cost Reduction
   Manual reviews are expensive. Automating the process minimizes the hours and resources spent on repetitive tasks, freeing teams to focus on more strategic initiatives.
3. Accuracy and Transparency
   Outdated or inconsistent information is no longer a risk. Real-time updates ensure customers access accurate, verifiable security data.
   “Customers ask for more than just text answers in security questionnaires—they want the actual evidence,” explains Tejas.
4. Empowered Self-Service
   With a secure portal, customers can independently verify security measures at their convenience, reducing back-and-forth and accelerating deal cycles.

   Jon Rust, Staff Solutions Engineer at Cribl, notes:
   “I’ve started limiting what users can see in the portal. It allows them to find exactly what they’re looking for without overwhelming them.”

5. Reduced CISO Involvement
   With virtual audits and automated answers, CISOs can focus on strategic priorities rather than constant customer presentations that require a lot of prep and education.

   “Our CISO is constantly being pulled into these security review meetings, interrupting critical tasks. It’s becoming more than just a compliance check—it’s a full-on customer education process,” shares a Head of GRC.

Steps to Implement an Integrated Security Portal

1. Assess Your Current Process
   Start by mapping out your current security review workflows:
   1. Identify Pain Points: Where are bottlenecks? How much time is spent answering questionnaires or participating in audits?
   2. Quantify Costs: Measure the resource hours spent on manual processes.
   3. Evaluate Stakeholder Burdens: Are CISOs, legal teams, or sales teams overloadedKey Question: What tools are you currently using, and where are they falling short?
2. Choose the Right Technology
   The right platform should be dynamic, real-time, and scalable. TrustCloud’s TrustShare portal, for example, combines:
   1. AI-powered automation for questionnaires.
   2. Real-time updates to security data.
   3. Customer self-service for virtual audits.Recommendation: Look for solutions that integrate with CRM tools and existing workflows to minimize disruption and improve efficiency.
3. Roll Out Gradually
   Adopt a phased implementation:
   1. Start with high-value enterprise customers who will benefit most from enhanced transparency.
   2. Gather feedback, refine processes, and gradually expand to all customers.Tejas recommends:
      “Begin with automating questionnaires as a first step. As the organization matures, roll out full portal capabilities.”
4. Customize and Configure the Portal

   Tailor the portal to meet internal and customer needs:

   1. Set Permissions: Control who accesses what information.
   2. Update Regularly: Ensure security certifications and documentation stay current.
   3. Balance Detail: Provide enough data to build trust without overwhelming customers.
5. Prepare for Virtual Audits
   Ensure customers can conduct audits efficiently:
   1. Regularly test the portal to confirm real-time accuracy.
   2. Provide self-service guides and evidence-based documentation to streamline the audit process.

Measuring Success: Key Metrics to Track

Once implemented, measure the portal’s impact:

• Time Savings: How quickly are security reviews completed?
• Customer Satisfaction: Are customers finding the portal transparent and efficient?
• Resource Savings: Measure hours saved through automation and reduced CISO involvement.
• Compliance Improvements: Track reductions in errors and outdated data.

The Bottom Line: A Future-Ready Approach to Customer Assurance

Organizations must move from reactive compliance to proactive assurance as customer expectations evolve. Integrated security portals, virtual audits, and AI automation provide a modern, efficient approach to managing security reviews.

Learn More: Read the Full Guide

Discover how leading organizations transform customer assurance processes, reduce manual effort, and build client trust.