SaaS security checklist for buyers
Procurement · 6-min read · Assess a vendor → · updated June 2026
Buying a SaaS tool? Run it through this buyer’s checklist before you sign. Four control areas — and a fifth check (the software itself) that most checklists quietly skip.
The checklist
Access
- SSO (SAML/OIDC)
- Enforced MFA
- Role-based access (RBAC)
- Audit logs you can export
Data
- Encryption at rest & in transit
- Data residency options
- Backups & tested restores
- Retention & deletion on exit
Compliance
- SOC 2 (Type II) / ISO 27001
- GDPR & sub-processor list
- PCI-DSS / HIPAA if in scope
- Pen test in last 12 months
Operations
- SLA & status page
- Disaster recovery (RTO/RPO)
- Documented incident response
- Breach-notification commitment
Turn the checklist into an assessment
- Create a free vendor assessment — this checklist + independently-verified vulnerability data, exportable.
- Free questionnaire template (copy or download CSV).
Turn this into action. Before you sign: the access, data, compliance and operational controls to confirm — plus the software-vulnerability check most checklists miss.
Assess a vendor — free →Frequently asked questions
What should a SaaS security checklist cover?
Four areas: access (SSO, MFA, RBAC, audit logs), data (encryption at rest and in transit, residency, backups, retention), compliance (SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR, and any sector rules like PCI-DSS or HIPAA), and operations (SLA, status page, disaster recovery, sub-processors, incident response). Plus the software-vulnerability check most checklists omit.
What do most SaaS security checklists miss?
They capture what the vendor says about process and certifications, but not whether the software itself has known, open vulnerabilities, is being actively exploited, or is end-of-life. That independent, software-composition layer is the common blind spot.
How do I check a SaaS vendor for free?
Use this checklist as a questionnaire and run it through a free IsItPatched vendor assessment, which adds independently-verified vulnerability data (open CVEs, CISA KEV, end-of-life) for the product alongside the answers.
This guide is vendor-neutral and informational, grounded in publicly-available guidance from bodies such as OWASP, NIST and CISA. IsItPatched is independent and not affiliated with them, and this is not legal or compliance advice. See our disclaimer.