About the Customer
RSM Kuwait is a leading professional services and advisory firm providing audit, tax, consulting, risk, and cybersecurity services across Kuwait and the wider Middle East region. As part of the global RSM network, the firm supports organizations in strengthening governance, compliance, and operational resilience.
The Challenge
Third-party cyber risk creates significant financial and reputational exposure, particularly as organizations increasingly depended on external vendors and service providers to support critical operations. At the same time, many organizations lacked deep visibility into vendor security posture before onboarding. Risk assessments often relied heavily on self-reported documentation and questionnaires, with limited access to independent cyber intelligence or continuous validation prior to contract engagement.
The Solution
RSM Kuwait designed and implemented an AI-enabled third-party risk management (TPRM) program powered by 6clicks, introducing a structured six-step framework to standardize vendor risk governance and improve visibility across the supplier lifecycle.
Six-step TPRM framework
- Planning & oversight
Establish governance structures, standard operating procedures (SOPs), vendor scoring models, and centralized reporting to support consistent risk oversight. - Inherent risk-based vendor assessment
Categorize vendors based on criticality, access levels, and operational impact to prioritize assessments and controls proportionate to risk exposure. - Due diligence
Conduct multi-domain assessments covering cybersecurity, privacy, AI governance, and sustainability requirements, supported by OSINT-driven intelligence gathering and ongoing monitoring. - Contract management
Align contractual obligations and security clauses with recognized frameworks such as ISO 27001 and related compliance requirements. - Continuous monitoring
Enable ongoing vendor monitoring and reassessment workflows tailored to vendor criticality and evolving risk conditions. - Off-boarding
Implement structured vendor disengagement processes to reduce residual risk and ensure secure termination of third-party access and obligations.
The Result
Using 6clicks, RSM Kuwait operationalized third-party risk management through a repeatable, workflow-driven approach spanning the full vendor lifecycle; from onboarding and ongoing monitoring through to structured off-boarding.
Key capabilities implemented included:
- Vendor onboarding workflows and centralized data capture
- Recurring assessment workflows with automated risk scoring and ratings
- Findings management linked directly to risks, remediation actions, and tracking
- Contract gap analysis with mapping against compliance frameworks such as ISO 27001
- Off-boarding playbooks and centralized reporting dashboards
The result was a scalable and standardized TPRM operating model that improved visibility, strengthened governance, and reduced manual effort through automation-supported workflows and centralized oversight.
