# The Vendor Security Questionnaire: What Pharma Clients Ask a 3PL About Cybersecurity Source: https://fleetroot.com/blog/the-vendor-security-questionnaire-what-pharma-clients-ask-a-3pl-about-cybersecurity Published: 2026-11-03 · Category: Delivery management · Author: Fleetroot Team A pharma client’s security questionnaire is not a formality. It is a check on whether the 3PL can protect systems, data and delivery operations from cyber incidents. Questions… A pharma client’s security questionnaire is not a formality. It is a check on whether the 3PL can protect systems, data and delivery operations from cyber incidents. Questions usually cover access control, carrier and driver identity, integrations, data handling and incident response. The client wants more than a “yes.” It needs to know which controls apply, how they work and what evidence supports the answer. The examples below reflect common RFP questions. They are not a verbatim questionnaire from a specific client. Requirements vary by service, contract and risk profile. ## Start with a clear view of scope **Typical RFP question:** Which systems, sites, subcontractors and data flows will support our services? A useful answer names the systems involved, such as the warehouse management system (WMS), transport management system (TMS), driver application, cloud services and client-facing integrations. Include the service locations, data types, system connections and subcontractors that could access client information or affect delivery. Attach a simple architecture or data-flow diagram. Mark where information enters, moves between systems and is stored. Explain which party operates each component and how subcontractors are approved and monitored. This gives the client a basis for assessing **supply chain cyber risk**. A 3PL with access to shipment records, delivery status or client systems may require tighter controls than a supplier with no data or network access. Do not rely on a certification to answer every question. If you hold a relevant certification or independent assessment, identify its scope and date. Add evidence such as a recent penetration-test summary, security policy or remediation status where appropriate. NIST’s [Cybersecurity Framework 2.0 supply chain guide](https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/SpecialPublications/NIST.SP.1305.pdf) recommends assessing supplier risk and setting requirements based on the supplier’s role and access. ## Explain who can access systems **Typical RFP question:** How do you control employee access to production systems and client data? Describe the process from account creation to removal. State that users have unique accounts, access is role-based and permissions are limited to job requirements. Explain how managers approve access and how the security or IT team reviews it. Include direct answers on: - Multi-factor authentication (MFA) for administrative and remote access. - Prohibition of shared user accounts. - Regular access reviews and prompt account removal when a role changes or employment ends. - Logging of authentication and privileged actions. - Separate approval for elevated or temporary access. The strongest response explains both policy and operation. For example: “Access is approved by the user’s manager and system owner, assigned through role-based groups, reviewed quarterly and removed through the leaver process. Administrative access requires MFA and is logged.” Support the answer with a redacted access-review record, policy excerpt or sample audit log. Avoid attaching live credentials, sensitive system diagrams or unredacted personnel details. ## Show how carrier and driver identities are verified **Typical RFP question:** How do you confirm that the assigned carrier, driver and vehicle are approved for the delivery? Clients need confidence that a delivery task is assigned to the correct party and that access to shipment information is controlled. Explain how you onboard and approve carrier organizations, validate driver identity, issue or manage accounts, and disable access when a person or carrier is no longer authorized. Cover the operational handoff as well as the login process: - How dispatchers confirm that a driver is assigned to the correct job. - What the driver can see in the app or delivery instructions. - How you handle a replacement driver, device loss or suspected account compromise. - How you capture delivery exceptions and proof of delivery. - How access to client-specific data is restricted. State which controls are in place and which depend on the client or carrier. Do not claim identity verification if the process only checks an account login. Where different carriers use different tools, describe the minimum standard and how exceptions are reviewed. ## Document API and integration protections **Typical RFP question:** How do you secure interfaces that exchange orders, shipment updates and delivery records? Inventory each connection. Identify whether it uses an API, EDI, webhooks or file exchange. Include the system owner, data exchanged, authentication method, encryption, monitoring and process for revoking access. Explain how machine identities and secrets are managed. Describe how permissions are limited, how credentials are stored and rotated, and how failed or duplicate messages are detected. Never send secret keys or tokens in the questionnaire. For API controls, mention relevant practices such as transport encryption, scoped permissions, input validation, rate limits, logging and change management. Give a clear explanation of how the team detects and handles integration errors that could affect shipment status or product traceability. NIST’s [guidance on API and microservices security](https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/SpecialPublications/NIST.SP.800-204.pdf) provides a technical reference for service-based systems. For serialized product information, describe how your systems support the client’s required data exchange and reconciliation. The [FDA’s DSCSA resources](https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-supply-chain-security-act-dscsa) explain the U.S. drug supply chain security framework. A 3PL should clarify its contracted role rather than imply that every DSCSA obligation applies directly to it. ## Define data handling and retention **Typical RFP question:** What client data do you collect, where is it processed and how is it protected? List the categories your operation handles. These may include shipment details, delivery addresses, contact information, proof of delivery, system logs and operational telemetry. Explain the business purpose for each category and identify the relevant data locations and subprocessors. The answer should address: - Encryption during transfer and storage, where applicable. - Logical separation of client information. - Access restrictions and activity logging. - Retention periods by data type. - Secure deletion or return at contract end. - Backup protection and recovery testing. - Procedures for legal holds or client requests. Keep commitments specific. If deletion from backups follows a separate cycle, say so. If a client sets the retention period, identify that dependency. Provide the applicable contractual terms, data-processing documentation or a summary of retention controls. Data handling also connects to operational traceability. Explain how authorized personnel can retrieve relevant records for a shipment query, investigation or recall support request. For further context on delivery verification and serialization, see Fleetroot’s article on [serialization and delivery verification](https://fleetroot.com/blog/serialization-and-delivery-verification-complying-with-dscsa-and-eu-fmd-without-slowing-your-dispatch). ## Set an incident notification process **Typical RFP question:** What happens if you detect a breach, ransomware event or loss of shipment data? Give the client a clear notification route and timeline. Explain who receives the first notice, how incidents are classified and what information the initial report will contain. The contract should define the notification deadline. Do not promise a deadline in the questionnaire that conflicts with your incident-response plan or legal obligations. A useful response covers: - Suspected as well as confirmed incidents. - Compromised accounts, devices, subcontractors and integrations. - Containment and service-continuity actions. - Evidence preservation and investigation ownership. - Regular status updates and a final incident report. - Corrective actions and follow-up testing. Include how operations continue if a system becomes unavailable. For a pharma client, the question is not only whether data was exposed. It is also whether deliveries, shipment records, exception handling or product traceability are affected. ## Make every response verifiable Answer each control with a consistent format: 1. **Status:** Compliant, partial, not applicable or exception. 2. **Scope:** Systems, locations, data and subcontractors covered. 3. **Control:** What happens in practice and who owns it. 4. **Evidence:** Policy, audit extract, test summary or process record. 5. **Gap:** Any limitation, client dependency and remediation date. Keep evidence current and redact sensitive details. If a control is partial, state what is missing and when it will be addressed. A precise exception is more useful than a broad assurance. Logistics cybersecurity depends on coordinated controls across people, platforms and handoffs. A connected operating model can help teams maintain visibility across orders, carriers and delivery events. Fleetroot’s [logistics orchestration platform](https://fleetroot.com/platform/logistics-orchestration) describes how delivery workflows can bring own-fleet and third-party carrier activity into a shared operational view. Security commitments should still be assessed through the 3PL’s documented controls, contractual terms and evidence. The best questionnaire response is direct: define the boundary, state the control, show proof and disclose the gap. That gives pharma clients a practical basis to assess risk before the first shipment moves.