Every year, as audit season rolls around, I brace myself for the same scenario: well-intentioned audit teams asking hundreds of questions about scenarios that don’t apply to the SaaS being evaluated. Buyers are pulled in late, auditors are frustrated, and vendors like us are left explaining the same things over and over.

It’s a cycle that doesn’t need to exist—but it persists because of a fundamental disconnect between the audit process and the purpose of the software being audited.

Imagine this:

You’re handed a checklist and told, “Go find out if this dog is safe.”

But here’s the catch:

  • No one tells you what kind of dog it is. Is it a tiny chihuahua? A guide dog? A police K-9?
  • You don’t know what the dog is supposed to do. Is it guarding a house? Chasing frisbees? Comforting kids?
  • And, most absurdly, the dog’s owner doesn’t even know you’re doing this.

So, you start following the checklist:

  • “Does the dog have an emergency backup parachute?”
  • “Does the dog have certified anti-theft claws?”
  • “Is the dog properly trained to manage a high-rise elevator in an emergency?”

When none of these questions seem to fit, the auditors go back to the dog’s owner and say:
“Your dog can’t answer the questions the way we require. Before we can pass it, you need to fix the gap and get the dog certified as an elevator operator.”

The owner, who thought they had a perfectly safe and happy dog, is blindsided:
“Wait, what? My dog doesn’t even go near elevators—why is this a problem?”

This ridiculous scenario is exactly how SaaS audits feel when rigid templates and irrelevant questions create misalignment.

The Misalignment That Creates Frustration

At CLDigital, our SaaS helps organizations manage operational resilience, crisis management, enterprise risk, and compliance—not store sensitive data like PHI or credit card numbers. Yet, every year, we see audits that disregard the context established at the beginning of the relationship.

Third-Party Risk Management (TPRM) teams, often outsourced, are handed standardized templates without knowing the SaaS’s purpose, data scope, or role. Questions about irrelevant scenarios pile up, and when the SaaS can’t provide a “satisfactory” answer to questions that don’t apply, the buyer is pulled in.

By this point, frustration is at a boiling point:

  • Auditors: Frustrated because the checklist can’t be completed as written.
  • SaaS Providers: Stuck addressing “gaps” for irrelevant issues.
  • Buyers: Blindsided, now being told their vendor has a “problem” to fix before the audit can pass.

How We Navigate These Challenges

CLDigital understands that addressing these disconnects requires clear communication and proactive engagement:

1️. Start with Clarity
From day one, we provide tailored scope documents that outline:

  • What our SaaS does (and doesn’t do).
  • The type of data we handle.
  • The security controls we have in place.

2️. Proactively Engage Auditors
When audits begin, we share these documents with the TPRM team and offer to align early on expectations. This helps ensure that the process stays focused.

3️. Prepare for Misaligned Questions
We’ve developed clear, templated responses for irrelevant questions, such as:

“Our SaaS does not process PHI or other regulated customer data. As such, the controls referenced in this question are not applicable.”

4️. Advocate for Continuity
We encourage buyers to connect with their TPRM teams upfront, ensuring audits reference existing agreements and documentation instead of starting from scratch.

What If Audits Could Be Better?

Misaligned audits don’t just waste time—they create unnecessary frustration for everyone involved.

What if audits could focus on what really matters?

  • Start with context. Revisit agreements to understand the SaaS’s actual role.
  • Focus on relevance. Tailor questions to match the SaaS’s scope, rather than relying on rigid templates.
  • Loop buyers in early. Keep them informed from the start to avoid last-minute surprises.

Audits are critical for ensuring trust, but they work best when they align with the reality of the platform being evaluated.

What’s Been Your Experience?

Collaboration, clarity, and alignment have proven essential in making audits smoother and more effective, as we’ve discovered through our experience at CLDigital. What’s been your experience with SaaS audits? Have you faced similar challenges, or found ways to improve the process? Let’s start the conversation.

 

Written by: Casey Friese

Casey Friese is the Chief Information Security Officer at CLDigital, bringing over 25 years of experience in technology and cybersecurity leadership. With a proven track record of designing and implementing effective strategies for risk management, compliance, and incident response, Casey has worked with some of the world’s largest organizations across various industries. Passionate about bridging the gap between cybersecurity and business goals, Casey is dedicated to helping organizations stay resilient in an ever-evolving threat landscape.