Vendor Management
Vendor Access Without Vendor Risk
59% of organizations have experienced a data breach caused by a third party (Ponemon Institute, 2023). The average organization shares credentials with 89 third-party vendors. CtrlLayer eliminates credential sharing entirely — granting vendors exactly the access they need, for exactly the time they need it, with complete audit trails and automatic expiration.
The Third-Party Risk
of organizations have experienced a breach caused by a third party (Ponemon Institute)
average cost of a third-party data breach — 12% higher than internal breaches (IBM)
of organizations do not assess vendor security before granting access (Gartner)
average number of third-party vendors with access to enterprise systems (Centrify)
How Organizations Typically Handle Vendor Access
Shared Admin Credentials
IT shares a local admin password with the vendor. The vendor writes it down, emails it to colleagues, and uses it months later for a different purpose. No one tracks who used it or when.
Temporary Accounts Left Active
IT creates a temporary account for the vendor. The project ends. The account remains active. Six months later, it is compromised and used as an entry point for an attack.
Excessive Permissions
To avoid multiple support requests, IT grants the vendor full administrator access. The vendor now has access to every file, application, and configuration on the device.
No Audit Trail
The vendor makes changes to the system. Something breaks. IT cannot determine what the vendor changed because actions were performed under a shared admin account.
CtrlLayer Vendor Access
QR-Based Tech Delegation
Instead of sharing credentials, the user opens the CtrlLayer tray app and initiates a tech delegation session. A QR code is generated that the vendor technician scans with their authenticated CtrlLayer app. The QR code contains a cryptographically signed token that binds the technician's verified identity to this specific device for a specific time window.
Time-Limited Elevation Grants
Vendor access is not open-ended. Every elevation grant has a configured expiration time — 30 minutes, 2 hours, 8 hours, or whatever the policy specifies. When the time expires, the grant is automatically revoked. No manual cleanup. No forgotten accounts. No stale access.
Complete Audit Trail
Every action the vendor technician takes during their delegation session is logged under their individual identity — not the user's, not a shared admin. The audit trail includes every application launched, every elevation used, every network connection made, and every USB device accessed.
Application-Scoped Access
Vendor technicians do not receive full administrator access. They receive elevation grants for specific applications relevant to their task. A network vendor gets elevation for network configuration tools. A software vendor gets elevation for their installer. Neither gets access to everything.
Vendor Access Compliance
Third-party access controls are a key audit area across every major compliance framework.
SOC 2
CC6.2 requires registration and authorization of new users before granting access. QR delegation satisfies this with cryptographic identity binding and time-limited sessions.
PCI-DSS v4.0
Requirement 8.6 mandates strict management of system and application accounts used by vendors. CtrlLayer eliminates shared accounts entirely.
HIPAA
§164.308(a)(4) requires authorization procedures for access to ePHI. QR delegation provides documented, time-limited, purpose-specific access authorization.
NIST 800-53
AC-2(2) requires automated removal of temporary accounts. CtrlLayer's auto-expiring grants satisfy this control automatically.
Vendor Access Workflow
Vendor Arrives (On-Site or Remote)
The vendor technician identifies the device they need to work on and contacts the assigned user or IT administrator.
Delegation Session Initiated
The user or admin opens the CtrlLayer tray app and creates a new tech delegation session, specifying the duration and allowed applications.
QR Code Scanned
A QR code is displayed. The vendor technician scans it with their authenticated device. Identity is verified and bound to the session.
Work is Performed
The technician performs their work using the elevated applications. Every action is logged under their individual identity.
Session Expires
When the configured time expires (or admin revokes), all access is automatically terminated. No cleanup needed.
Audit Report Available
A complete session report is available in the dashboard showing everything the technician did, for how long, and on what device.
Stop Sharing Credentials with Vendors
See how CtrlLayer eliminates the #1 source of third-party breach risk.
Request a Vendor Access Demo