Checklist: Security Questions to Ask Your CLM Vendor

✓ Essential Questions:

• Data Encryption: Is data encrypted both in transit (TLS 1.3+) and at rest (AES 256)?
• Key Management: How are encryption keys managed and rotated?
• Data Residency: Where is data stored geographically, and can you control this?
• Backup Security: Are backups encrypted with the same standards as production data?
• Infrastructure Security: What cloud provider do they use, and what security certifications do they maintain?

✓ Essential Questions:

• Single Sign-On (SSO): Do they support SAML 2.0 or OpenID Connect with your identity provider?
• Multi-Factor Authentication: Is MFA mandatory for admin accounts and configurable for all users?
• Role-Based Access Control: Can you define granular permissions and roles?
• Session Management: How are user sessions managed, timed out, and terminated?
• API Authentication: What authentication methods are supported for API access?

✓ Essential Questions:

• SOC 2 Type II: Do they have current SOC 2 Type II certification?
• GDPR Compliance: Are they GDPR compliant with data processing agreements available?
• Industry Standards: What other certifications do they maintain (ISO 27001, FedRAMP, HIPAA)?
• Data Processing Agreement: Do they provide comprehensive DPAs that meet your legal requirements?
• Right to Delete: Can data be completely deleted upon request (right to erasure)?

✓ Essential Questions:

• Complete Audit Logs: Are all user actions, document changes, and system events logged?
• Log Integrity: Are audit logs tamper-proof and immutable?
• Log Retention: How long are audit logs retained, and can this be customized?
• Real-time Monitoring: Do they provide real-time security monitoring and alerting?
• Export Capabilities: Can audit logs be exported for your internal analysis?

✓ Essential Questions:

• Incident Response Plan: Do they have a documented incident response plan?
• Breach Notification: What are their breach notification procedures and timelines?
• SLA Guarantees: What uptime guarantees do they provide (99.9%+)?
• Disaster Recovery: What is their RTO (Recovery Time Objective) and RPO (Recovery Point Objective)?
• Status Transparency: Do they provide a public status page with real-time system health?

✓ Essential Questions:

• Security Testing: Do they conduct regular penetration testing and vulnerability assessments?
• Employee Security: What security training and background checks do they require for employees?
• Code Security: Do they follow secure development practices (SAST, DAST, dependency scanning)?
• Third-Party Assessments: Do they undergo regular third-party security audits?
• Bug Bounty Program: Do they have a responsible disclosure/bug bounty program?

✓ Essential Questions:

• API Security: Are APIs secured with OAuth 2.0 or similar standards?
• Rate Limiting: Do they implement API rate limiting and DDoS protection?
• IP Whitelisting: Can API access be restricted to specific IP ranges?
• Integration Security: How do they secure integrations with third-party systems (CRM, e-signature)?
• Webhook Security: Are webhooks signed and verified for integrity?

• Vague or evasive answers about security practices
• No SOC 2 certification or unwillingness to share compliance documentation
• Shared infrastructure without tenant isolation
• No encryption at rest or outdated encryption standards
• Limited or no audit trail capabilities
• No documented incident response procedures
• Resistance to providing detailed security documentation

See AccordFlow's Security in Action

AccordFlow maintains SOC 2 Type II certification, enterprise-grade encryption, and comprehensive audit trails. Review our security practices and compliance documentation.