Data processing and scanning systems for assessing vendor risk

Abstract

Data processing systems and methods, according to various embodiments, are adapted for efficiently processing data to allow for the streamlined assessment of risk ratings for one or more vendors. In various embodiments, the systems/methods may use one or more particular vendor attributes (e.g., as determined from scanning one or more webpages associated with the particular vendor) and the contents of one or more completed templates for the vendor to determine a vendor risk rating for the particular vendor. As a particular example, the system may scan a website associated with the vendor to automatically determine one or more security certifications associated with the vendor and use that information, along with information from a completed template for the vendor, to calculate a vendor risk rating that indicates the risk of doing business with the vendor.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 scanning, by computing hardware, computer code corresponding to a vendor;   identifying, by the computing hardware, one or more vendor attributes indicating compliance with one or more industry standards based on the scanning;   determining, by the computing hardware, a respective weighting factor for each of the one or more vendor attributes;   calculating, by the computing hardware, a weighted sum based on the one or more vendor attributes and the respective weighting factors;   setting, by the computing hardware, the weighted sum as a vendor compliance rating; and   performing, by the computing hardware, an automated action based on the vendor compliance rating.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the automated action comprises transferring the vendor compliance rating to a current or potential client of the vendor for use in assessing doing business with the vendor. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method is reperformed periodically for the vendor based on a period determined by a previously-calculated vendor compliance rating for the vendor. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method is reperformed in response to detecting a change in the computer code. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the computer code is hosted on a website of the vendor and comprises at least one of:
 HTML, code;   Java code; or   JavaScript code.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the computer code comprises an image indicates at least one of:
 membership in an organization related to the vendor attribute;   partnership with a key partner;   receipt of an award related to the vendor attribute; or   certification related to the vendor attribute.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 scanning the computer code comprises:
 retrieving, by the computing hardware, textual information presented on a website; and 
   identifying one or more vendor attributes comprises:
 using, by the computing hardware, natural language processing to identify a term associated with the one or more industry standards. 
   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the textual information comprises a blog post presented on a website of the vendor. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein:
 the website is at least one of:
 a social media site; or 
 a job listing site; and 
   identifying one or more vendor attributes further comprises:
 determining, by the computing hardware, an employee title of a vendor employee, the employee title corresponding to implementation of industry standards. 
   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the vendor attribute comprises at least one of:
 a certification from an organization; or 
 membership in the organization; and 
   the method further comprises:
 accessing, by the computing hardware, a website of the organization; and 
 confirming, by the computing hardware, that the vendor attribute corresponds to the vendor by locating a name of the vendor on the website. 
   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the organization is a governmental entity. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein confirming that the vendor attribute corresponds to the vendor further comprises:
 determining, by the computing hardware, that the vendor has participated in or is planning to participate in a conference related to the one or more vendor attributes.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the vendor attribute is associated with at least one of:
 details regarding how the vendor supplies a component or raw material to a client; or   a contractor used by the vendor.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 providing, by the computing hardware, a threshold assessment to the vendor;   receiving, by the computing hardware, answers from the vendor for threshold assessment;   calculating, by the computing hardware, a threshold assessment score; and   setting, by the computing hardware, the threshold assessment score as a vendor attribute of the one or more vendor attributes.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 providing, by the computing hardware, an impact assessment in response to determining that the threshold assessment score does not satisfy a pre-determined threshold, wherein the impact assessment comprises more questions than the threshold assessment.   
     
     
         16 . A vendor risk analysis data processing system comprising:
 computing hardware comprising at least one processor;   memory operatively coupled to the at least one computer processor, wherein the memory stores instructions that, when executed by the computing hardware, cause the computing hardware to perform operations comprising:
 scanning a vendor webpage to identify as association between a vendor and a third party; 
 scanning a second webpage to confirm that an association exists between the vendor and the third party; 
 assigning an association score to the vendor in response to confirming the association; 
 accessing an assessment questionnaire from a server; 
 providing the assessment questionnaire to the vendor; 
 receiving answers to the assessment questionnaire from the vendor; 
 assigning an assessment score to the vendor based on the answers; 
 calculating a vendor compliance score based on a weighted sum of the association score and the assessment score; and 
 providing the vendor compliance score to an entity. 
   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the entity is at least one of a current or potential client of the vendor. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the assessment questionnaire comprises a question regarding at least one of:
 details regarding how the vendor supplies a component or raw material to a client; or   a contractor used by the vendor.   
     
     
         19 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions for performing a vendor compliance assessment, the computer-executable instructions comprising instructions for:
 identifying an association between a vendor and an organization by locating a name of the organization on a vendor website;   confirming the association by locating a name of the vendor on an organization website;   determining a first score based on the association in response to the vendor name being present on the organization website;   identifying a job title associated with the vendor by scanning a job website;   determining a second score based on the job title;   calculating a vendor compliance score by combining the first score and the second score in response to detecting a compliance statement on the vendor web site, the compliance statement indicating that the vendor complies with an industry standard; and   taking an automated action based on the vendor compliance score.   
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 19 , wherein calculating the vendor compliance score further comprises combining the first score and the second score with a third score, the third score being based on at least one of:
 a certification related to the industry standard; or   participation in a conference related to the industry standard.