Two leading integrated risk management providers, ViClarity and Curated Cyber, have partnered to introduce Vendor Lifecycle Assurance, a new solution designed to modernize vendor oversight for community banks and credit unions. As financial institutions increasingly depend on fintech platforms, cloud services, and third-party vendors, managing associated risks has become more complex than ever. Therefore, this collaboration aims to provide a structured, efficient, and scalable approach to third-party risk management.

Vendor relationships now represent one of the most significant sources of operational and cybersecurity risk. According to the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA), vendor-related incidents accounted for nearly 73% of reported cyber events since September 2023. At the same time, insights from the Conference of State Bank Supervisors reveal that 58% of community bankers consider cybersecurity an extremely important risk. As a result, regulators increasingly expect financial institutions to continuously monitor vendors and maintain clear documentation throughout the entire vendor lifecycle.

However, many institutions still rely on outdated systems, including spreadsheets and manual workflows. Consequently, these fragmented approaches create inefficiencies, slow down vendor reviews, and increase the likelihood of oversight gaps. Recognizing this challenge, ViClarity and Curated Cyber developed Vendor Lifecycle Assurance to streamline and standardize vendor management processes.

“Financial institutions are dealing with an expanding ecosystem of vendors,” said Ogie Sheehy, Global CEO of ViClarity. “By combining our technology with Curated Cyber’s operational expertise, we’re giving teams a practical way to manage vendor risk.”

The new solution integrates automated workflows within ViClarity’s governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) platform with expert-led oversight from Curated Cyber. As a result, financial institutions gain a comprehensive framework that supports vendor onboarding, risk tiering, documentation management, ongoing monitoring, and regulatory exam readiness. Furthermore, the solution simplifies implementation, allowing organizations to quickly adopt a structured process without significantly increasing administrative overhead.

Ad Banner

“The people responsible for vendor oversight are working incredibly hard, but the process often breaks down in the day-to-day workflow,” said vCISO Heath Stanley, president of Curated Cyber. “When you’re managing dozens or hundreds of vendors with spreadsheets and email threads, it becomes very difficult to maintain the level of visibility today’s cyber threats demand. Reviews stall, documentation gets scattered, and follow-ups get missed.”

In addition, Vendor Lifecycle Assurance addresses a critical industry need by combining technology with human expertise. While automation accelerates workflows and improves consistency, hands-on guidance ensures that institutions can respond effectively to evolving cyber risks. This hybrid model helps eliminate bottlenecks while improving accountability across teams.

Curated Cyber CEO Brandon Gettert emphasized the operational benefits of the solution: “Our goal is simple: let financial institutions get back to what they do best. Vendor Lifecycle Assurance provides the structure so banks and credit unions can focus on running their institutions rather than managing vendor paperwork.”

Moreover, the solution establishes a single, unified process that organizes vendor oversight from start to finish. This approach not only enhances visibility but also ensures that institutions remain compliant with regulatory expectations. By reducing manual effort and improving coordination, organizations can strengthen their overall risk posture while maintaining operational efficiency.

“Financial institutions are dealing with a rapidly expanding ecosystem of vendors, fintech partners and service providers,” said Ogie Sheehy, Global CEO of ViClarity. “By combining ViClarity’s technology with Curated Cyber’s operational expertise, we’re giving teams a practical way to manage vendor risk without increasing the administrative burden on their teams. In essence, Vendor Lifecycle Assurance establishes a single, structured process that organizes vendor oversight and keeps teams accountable and moving forward.”

Currently available to U.S.-based community banks and credit unions, Vendor Lifecycle Assurance represents a significant step toward modernizing third-party risk management. As vendor ecosystems continue to grow, solutions like this will play a critical role in helping financial institutions stay secure, compliant, and resilient in an increasingly interconnected digital landscape.

Cyber Technology Insights: 

To participate in our interviews, please write to our CyberTech Media Room at info@intentamplify.com



🔒 Login or Register to continue reading