Can the VSAR be signed electronically?

Yes. Electronic signatures that meet ESIGN (15 U.S.C. ch. 96) and UETA standards are legally valid for commercial VSARs, provided signer intent, consent, attribution, and record retention requirements are satisfied.

When is notarization required?

Notarization is rarely required for VSARs themselves; however, some attestations or accompanying affidavits may need notarization depending on state law or contract terms—verify state or contract-specific clauses.

Do I need a BAA for healthcare vendors?

If the vendor handles protected health information, a Business Associate Agreement is required under HIPAA; include BAA status and effective dates in the VSAR and retain evidence for six years per 45 CFR §164.530(j).

What if the vendor refuses to sign electronically?

Offer alternative signing methods such as wet ink with scanned attachments, or arrange a remote online notarization (RON) if contract or state rules require notarized attestations.

How long should I keep VSAR records?

Retain completed VSARs for the contract term plus at least three years; follow industry-specific retention rules such as the IRS three-year baseline or HIPAA six-year rule.

Who verifies attached audit reports?

Security or compliance teams should verify third-party reports’ scope and dates and, when necessary, request the auditor’s opinion or bridge letters to confirm coverage.

Electronic Signature
Templates
Miscellaneous
Business VSAR Template

Business VSAR Template

This template is fully customizable. Edit the text, fill out the fields, and send it for signature. Give it a try!

Business VSAR Template

This Business Vendor/Service Agreement and Report ("Agreement") is entered into as of by and between Client Name: and Service Provider Name: .

WHEREAS

WHEREAS, Client desires to engage Service Provider to perform the services and related deliverables described in this Agreement and any appended Vendor Security Assessment Report (VSAR) attachments; and

WHEREAS, Service Provider represents that it possesses the qualifications, experience, and resources to perform the Scope of Work and to comply with the confidentiality and security obligations set forth herein; and

WHEREAS, the parties desire to set forth the terms and conditions under which Service Provider will perform the VSAR, deliver findings and remedial recommendations, and receive payment.

SCOPE OF WORK

Detailed VSAR Scope

Service Provider shall perform a Vendor Security Assessment Report that may include: documentation review, technical testing, risk analysis, remediation recommendations, and a written report of findings. Deliverables will include the final VSAR in electronic format and, if agreed, a remediation plan and follow-up validation services described in the Scope of Work above.

PAYMENT TERMS

Total Contract Amount Payment Schedule Late Payment Fee

All invoices shall be payable within the period specified in the Payment Schedule. Overdue amounts will accrue interest at the Late Payment Fee rate stated above, compounded monthly to the maximum extent permitted by law. Client is responsible for any sales, use or similar taxes arising from payments under this Agreement. If Client disputes in good faith any portion of an invoice, Client must provide written notice to Service Provider within ten (10) days of receipt; undisputed amounts remain due and payable under the terms above.

TERM AND TERMINATION

This Agreement commences on Start Date: and, unless earlier terminated as provided herein, expires on End Date: .

Termination Notice Period

Either party may terminate this Agreement for material breach if such breach remains uncured for the notice period specified above following written notice. Either party may terminate for convenience upon providing the notice set forth above; in such event, Client shall pay Service Provider for work performed and documented costs incurred through the effective date of termination plus reasonable wind-down costs pre-approved in writing by Client.

CONFIDENTIALITY

"Confidential Information" means non-public information disclosed by one party to the other, whether oral, written or electronic, including technical data, security findings, vulnerabilities, business plans, and customer data. Recipient shall: (a) hold Confidential Information in strict confidence; (b) use Confidential Information solely for performance under this Agreement; and (c) restrict disclosure to employees, contractors or advisors with a need to know and who are bound by confidentiality obligations no less protective than those herein.

Confidential Information does not include information that: (i) is or becomes publicly known through no breach by Recipient; (ii) is rightfully received from a third party without restriction; (iii) is independently developed by Recipient without use of or reference to the disclosing party's Confidential Information; or (iv) is required to be disclosed by law or court order, provided Recipient gives prompt notice of such requirement and cooperates with Discloser to seek protective measures. Confidentiality obligations shall survive termination of this Agreement for a period of five (5) years, except trade secrets shall be protected to the maximum extent permitted by law.

GOVERNING LAW

This Agreement will be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of , without regard to its conflicts of law principles. The parties submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts located in the specified jurisdiction for any disputes arising under this Agreement.

ENTIRE AGREEMENT

This Agreement, together with any attachments, exhibits, and the Scope of Work, constitutes the entire agreement between the parties with respect to the subject matter and supersedes all prior and contemporaneous agreements, proposals, or understandings, whether written or oral. No amendment will be effective unless in writing and signed by authorized representatives of both parties.

MISCELLANEOUS

Neither party may assign this Agreement without the prior written consent of the other party, except that either party may assign to an affiliate or in connection with a merger or sale of substantially all assets. If any provision is found unenforceable, the remainder will continue in full force and effect. The waiver of any breach will not constitute waiver of any other breach.

Billing Contact Name Billing Address for Invoices

Client Name:

By:

Date:

Service Provider Name:

By:

Date:

What the Business VSAR Template Is and when it’s used

The Business VSAR Template is a standardized Vendor Security Assessment Report designed for organizations to document a third party’s security controls, privacy practices, and compliance posture. It collects vendor identification, system architecture summaries, access controls, data handling procedures, incident response plans, and attestations about regulatory obligations. The template supports electronic completion and signing, enabling consistent evidence collection for procurement, vendor management, and audits. When paired with secure eSignature and storage, the VSAR helps create an auditable record to support risk decisions and contractual representations.

Why a structured VSAR matters for business risk management

A consistent VSAR reduces evaluation time, improves comparability across vendors, and creates a defensible audit trail for procurement and compliance teams. It centralizes security evidence, clarifies gaps, and supports remediation planning while reducing duplicate information requests.

Who typically prepares and reviews a Business VSAR

Completed VSARs inform contract clauses, SOC/ISO evidence requests, and ongoing monitoring schedules.

Procurement and Sourcing teams evaluating vendor fit and contractual terms.
Information Security teams assessing controls, architecture, and incident readiness.
Compliance and Legal teams reviewing regulatory coverage and contractual assurances.

Core sections to include in a professional Business VSAR

A complete VSAR groups vendor information and technical controls into logical sections so reviewers can find evidence quickly and compare vendors reliably.

Vendor Identity

Legal name, DBA, contact, and corporate address for contracting and tax records.

Scope & Systems

Clear description of products/services, data flows, and systems in scope for the assessment.

Security Controls

Authentication, encryption, patching, logging, vulnerability management, and access controls.

Privacy & Data Handling

Data categories, retention practices, data sharing, and cross-border transfers.

Incident Response

Breach notification timelines, escalation contacts, tabletop exercise cadence, and SLAs.

Regulatory Attestations

Claims about HIPAA, PCI, SOC 2, ISO 27001, or other applicable certifications and the evidence source.

Step-by-step: complete and approve a Business VSAR

Follow these sequential steps to collect, validate, and approve a VSAR without losing auditability or control.

01

Prepare Request: Identify scope, attach template, and set a response deadline.
02

Vendor Completes: Vendor fills fields, attaches supporting documents, and initial-saves draft.
03

Security Review: Security team verifies controls and requests clarifications or additional evidence.
04

Final Approval: Compliance/legal approve, authorized signer signs, and the record is archived.

How to configure an online VSAR workflow

Standardized online workflows reduce manual steps and ensure consistent evidence collection across vendors.

Field	Configuration
Response Deadline	Set to 14–30 days depending on vendor complexity
Attachments	Require PDF uploads for SOC reports and certifications
Signer Roles	Assign roles: preparer, reviewer, approver, contract signer
Authentication	Enable email + SMS code for vendor signers; escalate to KBA if needed

Technical considerations for eSubmission and digital workflows

Choose platforms that support secure upload, access controls, and an auditable signature trail.

File Formats: Support PDF and DOCX for originals and evidence attachments.
Integrations: Integrate with storage/ERP systems like Box, NetSuite, or Salesforce
Authentication: Provide email, SMS, or stronger MFA for signer verification

Ensure the chosen solution can store tamper-evident signed PDFs and preserve metadata for audits and retention policies.

Where to send, store, and who receives the finished VSAR

Define routing and storage so approvals, records, and evidence are discoverable and traceable for audits.

Primary Storage: Store signed VSARs in enterprise content store (e.g., Box, SharePoint)
Recipient List: Send copies to procurement, security, and contract owners
Contract Attachment: Attach final VSAR to vendor contract in CLM system
Audit Archive: Retain audit trail and supporting files with the signed document

Typical timelines and deadlines for Business VSAR processing

Set clear deadlines to ensure vendors respond and reviewers complete assessments without delaying procurement milestones.

Vendor Response Window:

14–30 days depending on scope

Security Review SLA:

5–10 business days for initial review

Clarification Round:

5 business days per clarification cycle

Approval Turnaround:

3–7 business days after final submission

Contract Attachment:

Attach final VSAR before contract execution

Common mistakes to avoid when preparing a VSAR

Incomplete scope descriptions that omit cloud or subcontractor services.
Attaching unsigned or redacted evidence without clear provenance.
Using inconsistent field formats that hamper automated comparison.
Failing to require clear certification dates and audit periods.

Key risks and compliance consequences of errors or omissions

Contractual Liability: Breach claims and indemnity exposure

Regulatory Risk: HIPAA violations can lead to fines and corrective action

Audit Findings: Failed audits can trigger remediation and reporting

Data Breach Costs: Notification, forensics, and remediation expenses

Vendor Disruption: Operational delays from inadequate controls

Tax/Filing Penalties: Incorrect vendor IDs can lead to backup withholding

Typical eSignature vendor pricing and capability snapshot for VSAR workflows

Basic pricing and capability differences can affect cost and compliance for high-volume VSARs; signNow is shown first per vendor-comparison convention.

	signNow	DocuSign	Adobe Sign	PandaDoc	HelloSign
Starting Price	$8/user/mo	$15/user/mo	$14/user/mo	$19/user/mo	$15/user/mo
Free Trial	Yes, 7-day trial	Yes, trial available	Yes, trial available	Yes, trial available	Yes, trial available
Bulk Send	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Audit Trail	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
HIPAA Compliant	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No

Practical tips to complete VSARs accurately and quickly

Adopt these practices to improve response quality and speed while preserving auditability and legal enforceability.

Standardize Scope

Define and reuse a clear scope statement to avoid inconsistent vendor responses and reduce follow-up queries.

Require Source Documents

Request SOC 2/ISO reports as PDFs, not screenshots, and specify date ranges and auditor names for validation.

Use Conditional Fields

Show only relevant questions based on vendor answers to lower responder fatigue and improve data quality.

Preserve Audit Trails

Ensure signatures produce a time-stamped, tamper-evident PDF with signer attribution and IP metadata for audits.

Real-world examples of VSAR use in business workflows

Below are concise examples showing how organizations use VSARs to make informed vendor decisions and preserve compliance records.

Optica Ventures

Optica required a vendor's SOC 2 summary to onboard them quickly

The vendor uploaded a SOC 2 Type II PDF and evidence links
Optica attached the signed VSAR to the contract, reducing onboarding time and ensuring audit readiness.

Fertility Centers

A healthcare provider needed assurance on patient data handling

The vendor completed HIPAA-specific fields and provided a BAA
The provider archived the signed VSAR and supporting logs to meet retention and HIPAA record requirements.

Authorized signers and role descriptions

Procurement Director

The Procurement Director typically reviews cost and contractual terms, confirms VSAR completeness, and signs procurement approvals when authority thresholds are met.

Chief Information Security Officer

The CISO or delegated security lead validates technical controls, accepts residual risk, and provides the security attestation required for contract execution.

Frequently asked questions about using the Business VSAR Template

Answers to common operational, legal, and technical questions when preparing, signing, and storing VSARs.

Need help? Contact support

Can the VSAR be signed electronically?
Yes. Electronic signatures that meet ESIGN (15 U.S.C. ch. 96) and UETA standards are legally valid for commercial VSARs, provided signer intent, consent, attribution, and record retention requirements are satisfied.
When is notarization required?
Notarization is rarely required for VSARs themselves; however, some attestations or accompanying affidavits may need notarization depending on state law or contract terms—verify state or contract-specific clauses.
Do I need a BAA for healthcare vendors?
If the vendor handles protected health information, a Business Associate Agreement is required under HIPAA; include BAA status and effective dates in the VSAR and retain evidence for six years per 45 CFR §164.530(j).
What if the vendor refuses to sign electronically?
Offer alternative signing methods such as wet ink with scanned attachments, or arrange a remote online notarization (RON) if contract or state rules require notarized attestations.
How long should I keep VSAR records?
Retain completed VSARs for the contract term plus at least three years; follow industry-specific retention rules such as the IRS three-year baseline or HIPAA six-year rule.
Who verifies attached audit reports?
Security or compliance teams should verify third-party reports’ scope and dates and, when necessary, request the auditor’s opinion or bridge letters to confirm coverage.

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