Day in the Life of a CISO: A Vendor Breach: Assessing Our Exposure

It’s 10:47 PM, and I’m halfway through binge-watching the latest must-see series when my phone buzzes. A notification from SecurityScorecard has my attention instantly: one of our critical vendors has just reported a breach. I hit pause, grab my laptop, and dive straight in. As much as I’d love to ignore it for a few hours, cyber risks don’t come with snooze buttons.

Before panic sets in, I’m logging into the SecurityScorecard platform. Their Scorecard has taken a nosedive, and I quickly spot the culprits—leaked credentials and misconfigurations. My primary focus is clear: What’s our exposure, and what’s next?

The first step is analyzing this vendor’s relationship with us. The platform immediately tells me what data they access and the systems they integrate with, pinpointing risks to our organization. Then, I dive deeper with Automatic Vendor Detection (AVD) to map their supply chain connections and confirm whether any upstream or downstream vendors are also compromised. Knowing their risks gives me a clearer picture of our exposure.

I launch a breach-specific questionnaire through the platform, asking key questions: which systems were affected, the volume of compromised data, and the measures they’re implementing to mitigate the damage. With automation ensuring follow-up reminders, I don’t have to chase answers manually—a small but critical win during a chaotic event.

Meanwhile, I calculate the financial stakes using the Cyber Risk Quantification (CRQ) tool, preparing data-backed insights for executive briefings. I focus not just on the immediate security implications but also on operational and reputational risks. These insights give our leadership team the full picture, aligning everyone on response priorities.

Internally, I initiate our workflow response by assigning remediation tasks directly within Jira, thanks to platform integration. Tickets are issued with timelines, owners, and high-priority flags for urgent issues, ensuring nothing falls through the cracks.

By leveraging SecurityScorecard, I’ve turned an all-hands crisis into a structured, proactive response. Within hours, we’ve assessed exposure, launched remediation efforts, and updated leadership with a clear path forward. It’s not a situation I’d call “ideal,” but in our world, being prepared is the next best thing. Time to get some rest—or at least pretend I’m going to.

Does this sound like your day? If not, contact us for a demo and to learn more about SecurityScorecard.