Introduction

In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, organizations are more dependent than ever on third-party vendors, partners, and contractors. While these relationships bring efficiency and cost-effectiveness, they also introduce significant cybersecurity, data protection, compliance, and operational risks. A single incident involving a vendor can lead to reputational damage, legal liabilities, and business continuity disruptions. That’s why understanding how to manage third-party risks and respond swiftly to vendor-related incidents is crucial for safeguarding organizational resilience.

Training course on managing third-party and vendor incidents is designed to equip professionals with cutting-edge tools and methodologies to identify, mitigate, and respond to external threats posed by third-party ecosystems. Through real-world case studies, compliance frameworks, and strategic risk assessments, participants will gain hands-on knowledge on how to build a robust vendor risk management (VRM) program and enforce effective incident response plans (IRPs) aligned with NIST, ISO 27001, and GDPR standards.

Programme Curriculum

Training Course on Managing Third-Party and Vendor Incidents

Introduction

Course Objectives

Understand the fundamentals of third-party risk management (TPRM)
Identify early signs of vendor-related cybersecurity incidents
Develop incident response strategies for outsourced services
Map supply chain risk exposure across vendors and partners
Perform vendor due diligence and monitoring
Evaluate compliance obligations under GDPR, HIPAA, and CCPA
Create vendor-specific risk mitigation plans
Learn to analyze third-party breach impacts on business continuity
Implement automated vendor assessment tools
Build a scalable vendor risk register
Establish a third-party incident communication plan
Use contractual clauses to enforce incident accountability
Align with NIST SP 800-161, ISO/IEC 27036, and SOC 2 frameworks

Target Audience

Information Security Officers (CISOs)
Risk and Compliance Managers
Procurement Professionals
Vendor Relationship Managers
IT Auditors and Consultants
Cybersecurity Analysts
Legal and Contracts Managers
Third-Party Risk Analysts and GRC Teams

Course Duration: 10 days

Course Modules

Module 1: Introduction to Third-Party Risk Management

Define third-party relationships
Understand external threat vectors
Identify high-risk vendor categories
Explore the risk lifecycle
Overview of regulatory drivers
Case Study: SolarWinds Supply Chain Attack

Module 2: Vendor Risk Profiling and Tiering

Set risk assessment criteria
Classify vendors by criticality
Evaluate data access levels
Score vendors by impact potential
Prioritize mitigation efforts
Case Study: Equifax’s Vendor Risk Oversight Gaps

Module 3: Third-Party Due Diligence

Perform security questionnaires
Conduct onsite audits
Assess data handling policies
Evaluate compliance certificates
Monitor vendor financial health
Case Study: Target’s HVAC Vendor Breach

Module 4: Vendor Contracts and Security Clauses

Insert data protection clauses
Define SLAs and liability
Address breach notification timelines
Include audit rights
Use indemnity clauses
Case Study: British Airways GDPR Violation & Third Party

Module 5: Monitoring Third-Party Risks

Automate risk detection
Conduct continuous assessments
Use threat intelligence feeds
Perform regular penetration tests
Monitor key risk indicators
Case Study: Accellion File Transfer Vendor Breach

Module 6: Incident Detection and Reporting

Set escalation protocols
Define incident types
Establish reporting timelines
Use third-party alerts
Map internal/external responsibilities
Case Study: Marriott/Starwood Vendor Breach Timeline

Module 7: Incident Response Planning

Build vendor-specific IRPs
Align plans with NIST
Define communication flow
Assign roles & responsibilities
Test IRP effectiveness
Case Study: Colonial Pipeline Incident Response Gap

Module 8: Regulatory and Legal Compliance

Map data regulations (GDPR, HIPAA, etc.)
Identify jurisdictional challenges
Understand breach reporting laws
Align contracts with regulators
Conduct compliance audits
Case Study: Facebook–Cambridge Analytica Data Mishandling

Module 9: Cyber Insurance and Vendor Liability

Define insurance requirements
Include vendor coverage clauses
Understand coverage limits
Prepare claims procedures
Link insurance to contracts
Case Study: Merck & NotPetya Insurance Dispute

Module 10: Business Continuity and Resilience

Define BCP expectations
Test third-party DRPs
Integrate with your resilience plans
Review backup/recovery processes
Evaluate alternate supplier options
Case Study: Kaseya Ransomware & Customer Impact

Module 11: Vendor Offboarding and Data Retention

Revoke system access
Enforce data return/destruction
Conduct exit audits
Archive contracts & documents
Ensure compliance at offboarding
Case Study: Boeing Insider Vendor Risk Exit Failure

Module 12: Automation in Vendor Risk Management

Implement TPRM platforms
Streamline onboarding
Auto-score assessments
Generate real-time dashboards
Use AI for anomaly detection
Case Study: IBM TPRM Automation Success

Module 13: Cross-Departmental Collaboration

Engage Legal, IT, Procurement
Align goals across departments
Set shared KPIs
Promote awareness training
Use centralized communication tools
Case Study: Uber’s Interdepartmental Failure Post-Breach

Module 14: Metrics, KPIs, and Reporting

Define vendor risk KPIs
Use metrics for board reporting
Track vendor SLAs
Identify trends & root causes
Optimize risk dashboards
Case Study: Deloitte’s Vendor KPI Framework

Module 15: Future Trends in Vendor Risk Management

Predict AI-driven vendor risks
Prepare for supply chain attacks
Embrace zero trust architecture
Shift to continuous trust verification
Invest in predictive analytics
Case Study: Microsoft’s Evolution in Vendor Risk Defense

Training Methodology

Interactive lectures and expert-led sessions
Real-world case studies and incident simulations
Group workshops and scenario-based learning
Hands-on sessions with tools and frameworks
Role-play activities and crisis communication drills
Assessments and quizzes after each module

Register as a group from 3 participants for a Discount

Send us an email: info@fineskilltrainingcenter.org or call +254769199797

Certification

Upon successful completion of this training, participants will be issued with a globally- recognized certificate.

Tailor-Made Course

We also offer tailor-made courses based on your needs.

Key Notes

a. The participant must be conversant with English.

b. Upon completion of training the participant will be issued with an Authorized Training Certificate

c. Course duration is flexible and the contents can be modified to fit any number of days.

d. The course fee includes facilitation training materials, 2 coffee breaks, buffet lunch and A Certificate upon successful completion of Training.

e. One-year post-training support Consultation and Coaching provided after the course.

f. Payment should be done at least a week before commence of the training, to Fineskill Training Center account, as indicated in the invoice so as to enable us prepare better for you.

Skills & Software Covered

Vendor risk management tools IR workflows

Programme Fee

Duration: 10 Days

Method: Online or Physical

Online Price: $2,000

Physical Price: $3,000

Certification: Accredited Certificate

View Available Dates 📄 Download Course Outline (PDF)

Available Sessions

Location

Month

Year

Oct 19 2026

19 Oct — 30 Oct 2026

💻 Online / Virtual session

Online $2,000