Third-party assessments are structured evaluations of external vendors and data processors to determine whether they meet an organisation’s privacy, security, and compliance requirements. Under the GDPR, data controllers are responsible for ensuring that their processors implement adequate data protection measures.
Third-party assessments examine a vendor’s data handling practices, security controls, compliance certifications, breach notification procedures, data retention policies, and sub-processor management. These assessments are conducted before engaging a new vendor and periodically throughout the relationship to ensure ongoing compliance.
Effective third-party assessments use standardised questionnaires, review security certifications like ISO 27001 and SOC 2, examine data processing agreements, and evaluate the vendor’s track record with regulatory authorities.
For website-related vendors, assessments should specifically examine what cookies and tracking technologies the vendor deploys, how they handle user consent signals, where they store and process collected data, and what happens to data when the business relationship ends. Documenting these assessments is essential for demonstrating GDPR accountability.
Seers‘ cookie scanning technology provides valuable input for third-party assessments by identifying which cookies and trackers each vendor deploys on your website. This transparency helps you verify vendor claims about data collection practices and identify potential compliance gaps. Seers’ detailed cookie inventory serves as a practical tool for ongoing vendor monitoring, alerting you when a vendor introduces new or changed tracking technologies.
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