VTAP™ – Vendor Trust Assurance Program

VTAP Vendor Trust Assurance Program

VTAP™ – Vendor Trust Assurance Program

Independent, continuous vendor trust assurance aligned with Zero Trust.

VTAP™ (Vendor Trust Assurance Program) is CertiVend’s flagship assurance framework designed to solve a critical gap in modern cybersecurity: the absence of independent, continuous validation of vendor security posture. While organizations invest heavily in Zero Trust architectures and cloud security controls, vendor trust is often assumed based on outdated questionnaires, self-attestations, and point-in-time audits.

Why Vendor Trust Breaks

Traditional third-party risk management relies on snapshots in time. Policies age, controls drift, patches lapse, and configurations change. When incidents occur, organizations discover too late that “approved” vendors were no longer secure.

  • Annual or one-time assessments that quickly become stale
  • Vendor self-attestation without independent verification
  • No continuous validation between audits
  • Unclear accountability after a breach

Alignment with Microsoft Zero Trust and Shared Responsibility

VTAP™ is architecturally aligned with Microsoft’s Zero Trust security model, which assumes breach, enforces least-privilege access, and requires continuous verification of trust. While Microsoft provides robust security controls across its cloud platforms, identity services, and workloads, vendor cybersecurity posture exists outside the tenant boundary and is not continuously validated by default.

VTAP™ extends Zero Trust principles beyond the organization by independently validating the cybersecurity posture of third-party vendors that access enterprise systems, data, or environments. This enables organizations to apply the same trust rigor to vendors that they apply internally, closing a critical gap in modern cloud and hybrid ecosystems.

VTAP™ also operationalizes the Shared Responsibility model by addressing security responsibilities that fall outside the scope of cloud service providers. While Microsoft secures the underlying cloud infrastructure, customers remain responsible for ensuring that external vendors maintain appropriate security controls over time. VTAP™ provides continuous, defensible assurance that these responsibilities are being met.

Designed to complement Microsoft security solutions rather than replace them, VTAP™ strengthens trust decisions across the supply chain by providing independent validation that enhances identity, access, and risk-based security strategies already in place.

VTAP™ is an independent assurance framework and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or certified by Microsoft. Microsoft, Zero Trust, and related trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

What VTAP™ Delivers

VTAP™ replaces assumption-based trust with verified assurance. CertiVend operates as an independent third party, continuously validating vendor cybersecurity posture and attesting that required controls remain in place over time.

  • Independent cybersecurity validation
  • Continuous assurance beyond onboarding
  • Extension of Zero Trust trust decisions across third-party vendors
  • Operational support for Shared Responsibility across the supply chain

How VTAP™ Works

  • Baseline Validation: Vendors are assessed against mandatory cybersecurity controls and policies.
  • Ongoing Assurance: Evidence, configurations, and controls are continuously validated.
  • Trust Attestation: CertiVend issues an independent trust assurance status.
  • Escalation & Remediation: Gaps are identified before incidents occur.

Designed for the Modern Ecosystem

VTAP™ supports enterprises, insurers, regulators, and cloud-first organizations seeking defensible assurance across complex vendor ecosystems. It complements internal security teams rather than replacing them, providing an external trust signal that internal controls alone cannot.

VTAP™ aligns with recognized frameworks including NIST CSF v2.0, ISO/IEC 27001, and ISO/IEC 27036, providing structure without rigid compliance theater.

VTAP™ and the CertiVend Ecosystem

  • Pairs with VOaaS™ for onboarding and ongoing assurance
  • Extends ICAP™ advisory oversight
  • Supports post-incident trust restoration
  • Enables insurer and enterprise confidence
Discuss VTAP™ Read the VTAP™ White Paper