This article provides a practical guide for CISOs and IT leaders on evaluating survey platform security, focusing on encryption, access control, incident response, shared responsibility, and documentation to reduce risk and support compliance with standards like ISO 27001, NIST, and GDPR.
Survey platforms process sensitive organizational and personal data and must therefore meet the same security standards as other enterprise systems. When evaluating survey software, decision-makers should focus on four core areas:
This article provides a practical overview of these areas. For detailed technical controls, audits, and policies, Enalyzer provides full documentation in its Trust Center, including downloadable PDFs suitable for vendor risk assessments and audits.
What it means
Survey data must be protected throughout its entire lifecycle:
Both states require strong encryption to ensure confidentiality and integrity.
What CISOs should verify
A secure survey platform should:
Why access control matters
Access control determines who can access surveys, data, and reports, and with which permissions. Misconfigured access is a common cause of security incidents.
A professional survey platform should support:
CISO best practices
Security is not just prevention
Even well-secured platforms must be prepared for incidents. A mature incident response capability includes:
For regulated environments (e.g. GDPR), timely and transparent incident handling is essential.
Understanding the shared responsibility model
Survey security is a shared responsibility. Understanding this division is critical for governance, compliance, and risk management.
The vendor secures the platform. The customer secures how the platform is used.
CISO takeaway:
Clear responsibility definitions and documented controls are key indicators of a mature vendor.
For CISOs, IT leaders, auditors, and procurement teams, documentation is critical.
A credible Trust Center should provide:
Enalyzer Trust Center
Enalyzer’s Trust Center provides centralized, up-to-date documentation, including downloadable PDFs, to support vendor assessments, audits, andinternal approvals.
Is survey data encrypted?
Yes. Secure survey platforms encrypt data both in transit and at rest using industry-standard encryption methods. Detailed technical descriptions areavailable in the Trust Center.
Can survey access be restricted by role?
Yes. Role-based access control ensures users only access what they are authorized to see. Administrative privileges should be strictly limited.
Does the survey vendor have access to our data?
Vendors operate and secure the platform but do not access customer data unless required for support or agreed upon contractually. This is documented in data protection and privacy policies.
What happens if a security incident occurs?
A professional vendor follows defined incident response procedures, including detection, escalation, and customer notification when required by law or contract.
How can we verify a vendor’s security claims?
By reviewing the vendor’s Trust Center, certifications, audit reports, and security documentation.
Survey software should be evaluated with the same rigor as any enterprise system.
For CISOs and IT leaders, the critical questions are
A vendor that can clearly answer these questions ,and document them, significantly reduces organizational risk.
For more information on GDPR compliant surveys and survey tools and what part Survey Security takes within this framevork, please visit The Complete Guide on GDPR compliant Survey Tools.
Need detailed documentation?
Visit Enalyzer’s Trust Center to review security architecture, policies, certifications, and incident response documentation, or contact us to discuss your organization’s specific security requirements.
A practical checklist for CISOs, IT leaders, and procurement teams
This checklist helps organizations evaluate the security, compliance, and operational maturity of survey software vendors before purchase.
1. Data Protection & Encryption
✔ Is all data encrypted in transit using industry-standard protocols (e.g. TLS)?
✔ Is all data encrypted at rest in databases and backups?
✔ Are encryption methods and standards clearly documented?
✔ Is key management handled securely and centrally?
Why it matters:
Encryption is a baseline requirement for protecting confidentiality and integrity of survey data.
2. Access Control & Identity Management
✔ Does the platform support role-based access control (RBAC)?
✔ Can administrative and user permissions be clearly separated?
✔ Is multi-factor authentication(MFA) available (and enforceable)?
✔ Does the platform support single sign-on (SSO) with enterprise identity providers?
Why it matters:
Misconfigured access control is a leading cause of data breaches.
3. Incident Response & Operational Security
✔ Does the vendor have a documented incident response process?
✔ Is continuous monitoring and logging in place?
✔ Are customers notified in case of a security incident when required?
✔ Is post-incident analysis and remediation part of the process?
Why it matters:
Security incidents cannot always be prevented, professional handling reduces impact and risk.
4. Compliance & Governance
✔ Is the vendor GDPR-compliant andable to support your legal obligations?
✔ Is there a clear data processing agreement (DPA)?
✔ Are sub-processors disclosed?
✔ Is data residency clearly defined(e.g. EU-based hosting)?
Why it matters:
Compliance is not optional when processing personal or sensitive data.
5. Certifications, Audits & Assurance
✔ Does the vendor hold recognized security certifications (e.g. ISO 27001)?
✔ Are regular third-party audits or penetration tests conducted?
✔ Is documentation available to support internal audits and vendor assessments?
Why it matters:
Independent verification increases trust and reduces vendor risk.
6. Shared Responsibility & Transparency
✔ Is the division of responsibility between vendor and customer clearly described?
✔ Is it clear what the vendor secures— and what the customer must configure?
✔ Is security documentation kept up to date and accessible?
Why it matters:
Security failures often occur in gaps between responsibilities.
7. Documentation & Evidence
✔ Is security documentation centralized and easy to access?
✔ Are policies, procedures, and technical descriptions available in writing?
✔ Can procurement, IT, and compliance teams all use the same documentation set?
Note:
Enalyzer provides centralized security and compliance documentation, including policies and PDFs, to support vendor assessments and audits.
How to Use This Checklist
A vendor that can clearly answer most or all of these questions, with documentation, significantly reduces organizational risk.
Sources & Standards
This checklist is aligned with widely recognized frameworks and regulations, including
These standards are commonly referenced by CISOs, auditors, and procurement teams when evaluating SaaS vendors.
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