The modern internet has evolved into a deeply complex ecosystem. At its core are the massive platforms we interact with daily – the Facebooks, Googles, and Amazons of the world, but these giants don’t operate in isolation. They depend upon a vast network of third-party tools, plugins, libraries, frameworks, and services that are woven into their own fabrics, and by extension woven into almost every online experience that we now have.
This extreme level of interconnectedness brings undeniable benefits:
- increased functionality
- greater personalization
- wider range of services than one provider alone could ever hope to offer
But the price of this plug-and-play convenience is a huge and ongoing third-party governance challenge for those operating big web environments.
What Third Party Governance Means?
In this context, third-party governance means gaining visibility and enforcing standards over all such providers, and it isn’t only essential for Internet whales like Google. Medium to large enterprises must also manage the inherent risks that come with connecting multiple third-party app providers with their infrastructures.
Without effective third-party governance, any third-party app providers with lax security practices may effectively be holding the door open for malicious actors to access user information, inject malware, or manipulate content to spread misinformation. The recent case of the third-party JavaScript library tool Polyfill.io being taken over and misused by Chinese company Funnull to inject malware into 110,000 websites is a sobering reminder of what can go wrong with third-party governance.
When 82% of organizations have experienced a data breach due to a third party, it’s clear that third-party governance needs to be a priority. So, how can we harness the power of third-party integrations while mitigating the risks? Here are some key strategies:
Clearer Platform Policies
Platforms need to establish robust policies that cover data usage, security standards, and content moderation expectations for third-party developers. These policies should be transparent, readily accessible, and consistently enforced.
Rigorous Vetting
Before integrating any third-party service, conduct a thorough vetting process. This could include security audits, code reviews, checklists, or any other methods that can give you a clear understanding of how it collects, stores, and uses user data. You need to be able to evaluate the third-party provider’s security practices, including its data protection measures, incident response capabilities, and compliance with data protection legislation and industry standards. Research the provider’s reputation, looking for any history of security breaches or similar issues. There are paid services dedicated to this, but you can begin for free with a simple search. Assign a risk score based on the criticality of the service and its potential impact on your organization’s security posture.
Sandboxing and Permissions
Third-party tools’ ability to access user data and platform functionalities should be limited. Sandboxing is a security mechanism that isolates third-party software or applications from the main system environment. This technique creates a controlled, restricted, and safe environment (a “sandbox”) where the third-party software can execute without affecting the rest of the system. Sandboxing is particularly useful in mitigating the risks associated with third-party software integrations, as it helps contain potential security threats and minimizes their impact on the broader system. Sandboxing environments can restrict their reach, while permission systems ensure users have control over what data is shared with these tools.
Transparency and User Control
Users need clear information about what third-party tools are integrated with the platform they’re using and how their data might be used. They also need ways to easily manage permissions and revoke access when the need arises.
Collaboration and Advocacy
At the industry level, platforms, developers, and regulators can influence third-party governance by sharing best practices, developing common standards, and advocating for strong data protection laws.
Contractual and Legal Safeguards
Closer to home, ensure that your contracts with third-party providers include robust security requirements, including clauses that mandate adherence to specific security standards and practices. Secure the right to audit the third-party provider’s security practices and require prompt notification of any security incidents or breaches that could affect your organization. Clearly define liability and indemnity terms in case of a security incident.
Continuous Monitoring and Management
Implement continuous monitoring to keep track of third-party integrations using automated tools to continuously scan for vulnerabilities and monitor the security posture of third-party services. Conduct regular audits and reviews of third-party integrations to ensure ongoing compliance with security standards and monitor performance metrics to detect any anomalies that might point to a security issue.
Access Control and Least Privilege
Limit the access and permissions granted to third-party services using the principle of least privilege. This means that you should only give third-party services the minimum amount of access to your systems that they need to work. Use network segmentation to isolate third-party services from critical systems and sensitive data and conduct regular access reviews to ensure that permissions remain appropriate over time.
Data Protection and Privacy
Ensure that third-party integrations comply with data protection and privacy requirements. Encrypt data in transit and at rest to protect it from unauthorized access, limit the amount of data shared with third-party services to only what is necessary, and ensure third-party services comply with relevant privacy regulations (e.g., GDPR, CCPA).
Incident Response and Contingency Planning
Future security incidents could involve third-party services so prepare by developing and maintaining an incident response plan that includes procedures for handling incidents related to third-party services. Create contingency plans for critical third-party integrations, including backup options and alternative providers, and carry out regular incident response drills to ensure readiness and identify potential gaps in your plans.
The Case for Strong Third Party Governance: Web Asset Management and Beyond
As we mentioned, the challenges of third-party governance extend far beyond the big platforms. Large organizations with complex web presences face similar issues as they attempt to manage a sprawling network of websites, vendors, and external services.
Limited Visibility, Heightened Risk
Enterprise CISOs (Chief Information Security Officers) often lack sufficient visibility into their organization’s entire web ecosystem, and this can be a major security blind spot. Without a clear understanding of all their web assets and associated third-party vendors, organizations will always struggle to identify and address potential security vulnerabilities, compliance gaps, and privacy risks. Not least because third-party vendors are likely to engage their own third-party vendors, making visibility even more of a challenge.
Web Asset Management: A Path to Better Governance
Solutions like Reflectiz offer a centralized dashboard that gives organizations a comprehensive view of all their websites and associated third- and fourth-party elements. The Reflectiz dashboard:
- Identifies all vendors and the code they use across their websites.
- Maps all the internal and external servers that are interacting with their websites.
- Monitors web changes and their impact on the organization’s risk posture.
- Offers its unique and exclusive Exposure Rating tool which benchmarks an organization’s security posture against industry leaders and then office actionable insights that can improve security and boost its ratings.
This kind of web asset management solution is great for third-party governance because it takes the problem of oversight and makes it more manageable. By consolidating this information, organizations can achieve:
● Centralized Oversight: They gain a single point of reference for managing all their web assets.
● Risk Exposure Overview: They understand their overall security posture and can identify potential vulnerabilities.
● Actionable Insights: They gain deep security insights without needing to install any code (because the solution works remotely).
● Improved Collaboration: It helps security, privacy, marketing, and compliance teams to communicate, ensures they’re all working from the same page, and keeps them accountable.
Jamie Rossato, CISO of drinks brand Lion in Australia explained these benefits more succinctly: “The nice thing with Reflectiz is our ability to bundle insights and recommendations and share them with third parties. We can then monitor the rate at which the identified issues are addressed through Reflectiz.”
Conclusion
Third-party governance is a critical issue for both large web platforms and individual organizations. By implementing robust safeguards and fostering a culture of shared responsibility, we can create a safer, more secure, and trustworthy online experience for everyone. In addition, web asset management solutions empower organizations to take control of their own digital ecosystem and mitigate the compliance and security risks associated with third-party integrations. Sign up to experience the benefits of Reflectiz today.
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