What is Shared Assessments SIG

The Shared Assessments SIG (Standardized Information Gathering) questionnaire is a comprehensive vendor security assessment tool containing 18 control domains and over 1,000 questions aligned to ISO 27001, NIST, and other frameworks. SIG standardizes third-party risk assessments by providing control mapping to regulatory requirements like SOC 2, GDPR, and HIPAA, reducing duplicate requests and audit fatigue across vendor populations.

Key takeaways:

• Industry-standard questionnaire with 1,000+ controls across 18 security domains
• Maps directly to ISO 27001, NIST CSF, SOC 2, and 40+ regulatory frameworks
• Available in Core, Lite, and AUP versions for different vendor risk tiers
• Reduces assessment redundancy by 40-most through standardized format
• Accepted by 15,000+ organizations globally for vendor due diligence

Vendor security assessments consume 120+ hours annually per organization, with enterprises managing 500-1,000 vendor relationships on average. The Shared Assessments SIG questionnaire emerged in 2005 as the financial services industry's answer to assessment sprawl—where vendors received dozens of similar but slightly different security questionnaires from each customer.

SIG provides a unified assessment methodology that satisfies multiple regulatory requirements through a single questionnaire. Rather than completing separate assessments for SOC 2, ISO 27001, NIST, and customer-specific requirements, vendors complete one SIG assessment that maps to all major frameworks.

For GRC analysts performing vendor due diligence, SIG serves as both an assessment tool and a framework crosswalk. The questionnaire's control mapping enables direct traceability from vendor responses to specific regulatory requirements, creating defensible audit trails for examiner review.

SIG Structure and Components

The SIG questionnaire operates on a maturity-based scoring system across 18 control domains:

Domain	Control Count	Primary Framework Alignment
A. Cybersecurity	89 controls	NIST CSF, ISO 27001
B. Physical Security	52 controls	ISO 27001, FISMA
C. Business Continuity	48 controls	ISO 22301, FFIEC
D. Human Resources	41 controls	ISO 27001, SOC 2
E. Legal & Compliance	37 controls	GDPR, CCPA, HIPAA
F. Risk Management	63 controls	COSO, ISO 31000

Each control includes:

• Maturity level indicators (0-5 scale)
• Implementation evidence requirements
• Compensating control options
• Framework mapping references

Regulatory Crosswalk Functionality

SIG's framework crosswalk maps individual controls to 40+ regulatory standards:

Financial Services: FFIEC IT Examination Handbook, OCC Bulletin 2013-29, Federal Reserve SR 13-19, PCI DSS v4.0

Healthcare: HIPAA Security Rule (45 CFR §164.308-316), HITRUST CSF v11.2, FDA 21 CFR Part 11

Privacy: GDPR Articles 32-34, CCPA §1798.150, PIPEDA Schedule 1, LGPD Chapter VII

Technology: SOC 2 Trust Services Criteria, ISO/IEC 27001:2022, NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5, CSA CCM v4.0

Control mapping enables single assessment reuse. A vendor completing SIG for one customer can provide the same assessment to satisfy another customer's ISO 27001 requirements, as SIG control F.2.1 maps directly to ISO 27001 A.5.1.1 (Information Security Policies).

SIG Versions and Risk Tiering

SIG Core

Full 1,000+ question assessment for critical vendors handling sensitive data. Required completion time: 40-60 hours. Use cases:

• Cloud infrastructure providers
• Payment processors
• PHI/PII data processors
• Critical business process outsourcing

SIG Lite

Abbreviated 250-question subset for moderate-risk vendors. Completion time: 8-12 hours. Use cases:

• Professional services firms
• Non-critical SaaS applications
• Vendors with limited data access
• Annual spend under $1M

AUP (Agreed Upon Procedures)

Validation methodology where independent auditors verify SIG responses. Provides attestation-level assurance without full SOC 2 audit expense. Typical cost: $15,000-25,000 vs $50,000+ for SOC 2.

Implementation in Vendor Risk Programs

Initial Assessment Workflow

1. Risk tier vendor based on data classification and criticality
2. Select appropriate SIG version (Core/Lite)
3. Include SIG requirement in RFP/contract language
4. Set completion deadline (typically 30-45 days)
5. Review responses against internal control requirements
6. Map deficiencies to compensating controls
7. Generate risk scoring using weighted domain scores

Ongoing Monitoring

Annual reassessment cycles align with SOC 2 and ISO 27001 requirements. Changes triggering reassessment:

• Material control environment changes
• Breach or incident occurrence
• Subservice provider changes
• Geographic expansion affecting data residency

Common Implementation Challenges

Version Control: SIG updates annually. Vendors may submit v6.0 responses when customers require v7.0. Solution: Accept prior version with supplemental questions for new controls.

Scoring Standardization: Organizations apply different weights to domain scores. A financial services firm weights Domain P (Privacy) at a notable share of while healthcare organizations weight at 40%.

Evidence Collection: SIG identifies required evidence but doesn't mandate format. Vendors provide policies as 200-page PDFs rather than specific control excerpts, requiring 4-6 hours additional review time per assessment.

Industry-Specific Considerations

Financial Services: Federal Reserve guidance (SR 13-19) specifically recognizes "standardized assessments" for vendor management. SIG satisfies FFIEC Appendix J requirements for outsourced services.

Healthcare: HIPAA Omnibus Rule requires business associate agreements backed by security assessments. SIG Domain N (Network Security) maps to HIPAA §164.312 technical safeguards.

Government Contractors: FedRAMP Moderate baseline aligns with SIG Core for cloud services. Agencies accept SIG as initial assessment before formal ATO process.

ROI and Efficiency Metrics

Organizations report:

• 40-a large share of reduction in assessment time through SIG standardization
• most decrease in vendor questionnaire fatigue
• $150,000 annual savings from consolidated assessments (enterprise with 500+ vendors)
• 30-day average reduction in vendor onboarding time

Vendors benefit through:

• Single assessment satisfying multiple customers
• Reduced sales cycle delays from security reviews
• Competitive differentiation via AUP validation
• the majority of reduction in custom questionnaire completion

Frequently Asked Questions

How does SIG differ from SOC 2 or ISO 27001 certification?

SIG is a self-assessment questionnaire, while SOC 2 and ISO 27001 require independent auditor validation. SIG responses map to these frameworks but don't provide third-party attestation.

Can vendors refuse to complete SIG assessments?

Yes, but many RFPs now require SIG completion for consideration. Alternative assessments must demonstrate equivalent control coverage across all 18 domains.

How often should vendors update their SIG responses?

Annually at minimum, or within 30 days of material control changes. AUP-validated SIGs require annual revalidation to maintain currency.

What's the difference between SIG and CAIQ (Consensus Assessment Initiative Questionnaire)?

CAIQ focuses on cloud security controls (200 questions) while SIG covers broader operational risk (1,000+ questions). CAIQ maps to CSA Cloud Controls Matrix; SIG maps to 40+ frameworks.

Do SIG assessments satisfy regulatory examination requirements?

Regulators accept SIG as evidence of vendor due diligence but may request additional documentation. FFIEC, OCC, and Federal Reserve examiners regularly review SIG assessments during IT examinations.

How much does SIG licensing cost?

Shared Assessments membership starts at $7,500 annually, including SIG access and framework updates. Non-members can purchase individual assessments for $2,500 each.

Can small vendors complete SIG Lite instead of Core?

Risk tier determines version, not vendor size. A 10-person firm processing credit cards requires SIG Core; a 1,000-person consulting firm without sensitive data access may use SIG Lite.