Pukar C. Hamal is CEO of SecurityPal, a trusted partner handling startup and Fortune 500 Security Reviews for OpenAI, Figma, Snap and more.
In response to the pressure of U.S. tariff proposals, global supply chains are bracing for this period of disruption. With billions in import costs at risk of slashing margins across industries, companies will need to pivot vendors quickly.
But as contracts for new suppliers are being drawn up at unprecedented levels, security reviews, the process by which a company vets a potential vendor for any compliance, data or privacy risks, are stalling deals and, in turn, slashing revenue and momentum at a time when speed determines survival. As companies race to adapt, these mandatory security reviews used to safeguard all parties in a new partnership have become the hidden roadblock threatening both supply chain negotiations and business continuity.
Hurry Up And Stall
Security reviews, a critical routine step in vendor agreements, have been known to be a notoriously slow process. Regulations like GDPR, CCPA and SOC 2 demand rigorous vendor vetting, with long questionnaires, which can drag on for weeks, especially for complex or sensitive cases. Those delays can cost millions in lost sales for a retailer rushing to onboard new suppliers, a trend we are seeing even with long-standing staple companies like Kraft Heinz as they consider major supplier shifts to keep costs down.
However, most companies use outdated processes, relying on things like shared Excel sheets where multiple teams or leaders have to weigh in to answer security questionnaires. It’s a modern contradiction: Companies invest heavily in agile operations for generating deals, yet aging compliance processes hobble them at the finish line.
At SecurityPal, where we streamline security reviews for clients like OpenAI, Figma and Snap, I witness this bottleneck firsthand every day. When I founded the company in 2021, inspired by a sales deal derailed by a 200-page questionnaire, our mission was to make compliance a catalyst, not a roadblock. Today, as tariffs redraw the global trade map, streamlined reviews matter more than ever.
This isn’t just a logistical snag; it’s a strategic liability. In a volatile market environment, trust and speed are equally critical. Yet, many firms still lean on spreadsheets and email threads for security reviews. Picture a SaaS startup eyeing a cost-saving cloud provider. The deal is primed, but a 300-question assessment lands at the last minute, requiring encryption protocols and audit trails. Leaders from teams across the organization may be pulled away from their typical work to provide their input, or worse, they don’t prioritize the questionnaire in time. Before you know it, the deal has fallen through as competitors with quicker processes get ahead.
Rewiring Compliance With Speed And Trust
In today’s rapidly evolving regulatory landscape, speed and trust are no longer tradeoffs; they’re both imperative, and striking the right balance is key. As shifting tariffs and trade policies put pressure on procurement timelines, businesses must rethink how they approach compliance, not just as a checkbox but as a competitive differentiator. The key lies in leveraging both technology and human expertise to navigate increasingly complex reviews with accuracy and efficiency.
To thrive in this environment, businesses must act strategically by:
• Embracing Automation: Use AI to map questionnaires to your security posture and help cut the process from hours to minutes. These tools can identify relevant compliance data and eliminate repetitive manual work to onboard vendors before tariff-driven deadlines kick in.
• Centralizing Compliance Data: Maintain a single source of truth for certifications and protocols to prevent redundant work. With a centralized system, procurement and legal teams can respond to questionnaires without pulling critical personnel from current projects. Reducing review cycles and minimizing delays is especially important now that new vendors must be vetted under tight, tariff-driven schedules.
• Leveraging Expertise: Bring AI and human experts onto your side to stay compliant while focusing on core operations and develop a critical edge when tariffs force swift supplier changes. Whether hiring internally or partnering with experts, they should help you interpret nuanced questions AI might miss and deliver tailored responses that meet the stringent demands of enterprise clients.
Trust As The New Currency
As constantly shifting geopolitical tensions may upend supply chains, trust will make all the difference in determining which companies will successfully weather the storm. Those that modernize their security reviews and protocols can turn compliance into a strength, closing deals faster and securing partners in a fractured market. Those stuck in manual processes risk losing suppliers, revenue and relevance. In a world where a single policy shift can upend sourcing, the ability to move quickly while staying secure is necessary.
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