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As part of our Cyber Security in Focus series, Secon hosted a hands-on walkthrough of Black Kite’s third party risk management software, led by our Technical Director Linton Geach and Kalyan Ramkumar, Senior Solutions Engineer at Black Kite. This wasn’t just another product demo — it was a deep, practical dive into how the platform helps organisations gain real-time visibility, assess third-party cyber risk with confidence, and streamline compliance without adding complexity.
If you missed the live session, the full recording is now available to watch on demand.
Why Third Party Risk Management Software Matters.
With increasing reliance on digital vendors, cloud service providers, and interconnected ecosystems, third-party exposure is now a significant security concern. Traditional assessments often rely on static, self-reported data and annual reviews, approaches that leave gaps in visibility and response time.
Modern third party risk management software, such as Black Kite, addresses these challenges by offering continuous, external-facing intelligence aligned with risk, compliance, and business priorities.
Key Features Demonstrated During the Session.
1. External Risk Visibility at Scale.
Black Kite’s software provides an attacker’s perspective on vendor risk. Using open-source intelligence and non-intrusive scanning, the platform builds detailed third-party profiles that include:
- Known and emerging vulnerabilities (including CISA KEVs)
- Breach history and credential exposures
- Indicators of ransomware susceptibility
- Overall cyber posture grading
This allows organisations to assess risk without needing to request internal access from vendors, an essential feature of scalable third party risk management software.
2. Ransomware Susceptibility Index (RSI).
One of the most compelling tools within Black Kite is the Ransomware Susceptibility Index. RSI tracks changes in a vendor’s external risk posture over time. For example, the session explored how RSI detected increased risk signals weeks before a high-profile breach in the UK retail sector, showcasing the software’s predictive capabilities.
3. Vendor Engagement and Audit Readiness.
Effective third party risk management depends on ongoing collaboration with suppliers. Black Kite facilitates this with its secure Bridge feature allowing users to:
- Assign findings
- Request remediation
- Track responses for audit trails
This streamlines what is often one of the most time-consuming parts of managing vendor risk.
4. Fourth-Party Risk Mapping.
The session also explored Black Kite’s Supply Chain Explorer, a tool that gives visibility into fourth- and fifth-party relationships. This is especially useful for identifying:
- Hidden concentrations of risk
- Systemic exposure to single points of failure
- Interdependencies across digital supply chains
This level of insight is a distinguishing feature in advanced third party risk management software solutions.
5. Automated Compliance Alignment.
Black Kite’s platform includes an Assessments Module that enables users to upload security documents (e.g. SOC 2 reports, privacy policies) and automatically map their content against frameworks such as:
By removing the need for manual mapping, this functionality enhances both compliance accuracy and operational speed.
Conclusion: Rethinking Third Party Risk Management.
This webinar highlighted the need for organisations to move beyond checkbox audits and embrace more dynamic, real-time approaches to third party risk management. With tools like Black Kite, security and risk teams can gain meaningful visibility, prioritise based on impact, and engage vendors more effectively, all through a single, intelligent platform.
To learn more about Black Kite, please get in touch with us today.