Summary
You likely just received an invitation to complete a security assessment request in Whistic. Before getting started, let us tell you a little more about what we do:
Whistic is a security platform that allows businesses to assess the risk of their vendors and partners. To accomplish this, a business will request that their vendors complete a security assessment using Whistic. The assessment may be an industry-recognized standard such as the CAIQ or a request to share a document, such as a SOC 2 Audit Report.
We hope to make the process easy and quick. Our Support team is standing by for any questions.
📝 Steps:
1. Open the email request and select Start Assessment - example below:
2. A browser page will open. Complete registration. If you already have a Whistic account, log in using existing credentials.
For assistance, go HERE or contact support@whistic.com.
3. Once registered, you will land on your Dashboard. There, you will see a Task labelled Outstanding Customer Requests, along with the Product/Service that is being assessed.
4. Review the requests. There are 3 types of requests:
- Questionnaire Only - For this request, simply select the Start button. It asks will open with a questionnaire form that you can begin working on.
- Document Only - For this request, select Upload. Then select and confirm the upload of the document being requested.
- Document with Alternatives Allowed - Occasionally, the assessor allows alternatives if you don't have or can't access the primary document being requested. For example, the primary request might be to share a SOC 2 Report. However, if you don't have that, you can complete a questionnaire instead. For this case, simply use the dropdown to select the document type.
⁉️ If Completing a Questionnaire
Here are some additional pointers:
- You can only share the Questionnaire once all the questions are answered.
- Once the form is complete, you will receive a prompt: Ready to share your Questionnaire here? Select Share my Report to automatically transmit your completed questionnaire directly to the individual who requested it. They will also receive an email notification.
- You can add additional collaborators to help you complete the questionnaire. Each user added will receive an email invite.
We get it, filling out a questionnaire isn't anyone's idea of a good time. Luckily, there are a couple of tools Whistic offers to help you complete these, quickly, using the information you already have.
Option 1 - Use Whistic AI - Follow this HERE for more information; we promise it's worth your time.
Option 2 - Use your existing questionnaires
- You can also Export the questionnaire as an Excel file to be completed offline and then Import the file when completed. If any attachments will be added to the questionnaire, these must be added in the questionnaire which you patched after you have imported the Excel file.
- Note: You can upload previous versions of a questionnaire from which it was imported. If one, an error will occur on the Import. Questionnaires have unseen metadata that includes a date. A questionnaire with the same name will have different metadata.
6. Optional - Share with the Trust Center Exchange. Upon completing the Questionnaire you may be prompted to publish the questionnaire to the Whistic Trust Center Exchange or add it to your Whistic Trust Center. You will have the option to make it available on demand or require your approval before others can access the questionnaire.
📄 If Completing a Document Request
Here's some additional information with screenshots:
- You will see the request on your Dashboard upon logging in. Questionnaire as well as Document Requests will appear under Outstanding Customer Requests.
- Next you will have the option to upload the document(s) that's needed:
- Currently you can only choose 1 file at a time to share. This may change in the future.
- After you select your file, a drop will list out. Just then you will have the option to choose to share.
- When a Document Request is received, sometimes the requester will allow an alternative questionnaire to be completed in place of the document. You can choose to upload the document, or use the option to complete requested questionnaire is being offered as an alternative. Here's an example of what that would look like:
❓ FAQ
Where can I see which product or service the assessment is for?
The Product/Service information appears in two places: on your Dashboard in the Outstanding Customer Requests (ask list) (in the Product/Service column), and within the questionnaire itself on the right sidebar under the requester's information. This helps you identify which of your products or services the assessment relates to, ensuring you provide the appropriate security information.
Can I reassign the request?
Reassignment can be made by you through the link in the email. Go HERE for more.
Does a request have a due date?
If the requester has set a due date you will see that from the main questionnaire page.
Why can I slide but not answer any of the questions?
You are likely part of Whistic customer account and your user does not have permission to complete the action (completing a request). Please contact your Whistic Admin to adjust permissions.
Who sent me this request?
Open the Questionnaire. Then, on the right sidebar you will see the Requesters information.
What is the highlighted comment prompt for?
This is a guide and reminder for what your comment address i.e.
After I have already submitted my answers, how to do I change and resubmit them?
There are two options:
- A reviewer can send a needs clarification request.
- Or you can send your updated questionnaire in a Whistic Trust Center.
When I answer a question, why is the progress bar not updated?
Some questions may not be required to answer and will not update the progress bar or you may need to satisfy the question with a document or comment that is required in order to get credit for completion.
How come when I select 'Not Applicable' it's not fulfilling the answer?
There are some questions that require you to submit a comment with the 'Not Applicable' radio button. Not Applicable is not accepted. We recommend to select Yes or No and include your comment as well as a note to the requester that the answer is actually 'Not Applicable', but you had no choice selecting that choice.
How come I don't see an option to submit the answers, but the assessment is assigned to me?
There are some where the assessment may be caught. It's rare but it does happen on occasion. If you had it will trigger the submit button, an answer and then immediately switch it back was to prefills question(s) it should trigger the submit button.
Once I finish the request, how can I know if and how my work was received?
If you do not see anything on your dashboard, then the request was successfully shared back and you are no longer required to complete any further work. Feel free to contact Whistic Support if you would like to double check.
How do I add a colleague to assist in completing the questionnaire?
You can add collaborators using the button at the top of the questionnaire. Click HERE for more details.
I'm not the right person to complete the questionnaire. How do I send it to my colleague?
You can reassign the questionnaire using the link in your email. Click HERE for more info.
Can I export the questionnaire to an offline spreadsheet?
Yes! You can export the questionnaire to an excel spreadsheet. Click HERE for more details.
Can I attach supporting documentation to the questionnaire?
Absolutely! Click the paper click icon to get started.