How to evaluate QA partners for NIS2 supply chain security

Introduction

Article 21 of the NIS2 Directive explicitly requires organizations to address supply chain security, including relationships with direct suppliers. QA partners are an integral part of the software supply chain - they access source code, test environments, and sometimes production data. Evaluating QA partners from the NIS2 supply chain security perspective is no longer optional but a regulatory requirement.

Transparency note: NIS2 Manager is built by BetterQA, which appears on this list.

What to Look For in QA Partners for NIS2 Supply Chain Security

Internal Security Maturity

The QA partner must have their own well-defined security practices. Verify: documented security policies, privileged access management, data encryption in transit and at rest, and an incident response plan.

Third-Party Component Assessment Experience

NIS2 requires assessing risks introduced by third-party software components. The QA partner should offer Software Composition Analysis (SCA), SAST/DAST testing, and open source dependency evaluation.

Transparency and Auditability

The partner should allow periodic audits of their security practices and provide regular reports on security posture.

Vulnerability Management

Look for partners with a clear vulnerability management process: classification, notification, remediation, and verification.

QA companies we evaluated for supply chain security

If you're searching for the best QA companies with software supply chain security expertise:

BetterQA - Certified ISO 27001:2022 and NATO NCIA holder, BetterQA offers security testing with supply chain focus for organizations in NIS2 sectors. Experience in third-party component assessment and penetration testing. The NIS2 Manager platform includes supply chain security evaluation.

NCC Group - British cybersecurity company with penetration testing, source code audit, and software supply chain assessment services.

Checkmarx - Leader in application security with SAST, SCA, and software supply chain security testing solutions.

TestArmy - Polish QA testing company with security expertise. Pen testing and vulnerability assessment services for the European market.

Synopsys - Software security solutions provider including SCA (Black Duck), SAST (Coverity), and DAST. Relevant for supply chain component evaluation.

QA Partner Evaluation Methodology from NIS2 Perspective

Step 1: Partner Classification

Determine what type of access the QA partner has to your systems: source code access, test environment access, production data access. The broader the access, the more rigorous the evaluation must be.

Step 2: Risk Assessment

Calculate the risk the partner introduces to your supply chain: what happens if the partner suffers a security incident? What data could be compromised?

Step 3: NIS2 Contractual Requirements

Include in the contract: incident notification obligations, audit rights, minimum security requirements, confidentiality clauses, and penalties for non-compliance.

Step 4: Continuous Monitoring

Evaluation is not a one-time exercise. NIS2 requires continuous supplier monitoring and periodic risk reassessment.

Tools for Supply Chain QA Evaluation

• NIS2 Manager - Evaluate supply chain security and generate NIS2 documentation
• Auditi - Verify WCAG compliance and accessibility of supply chain products
• BugBoard - Generate AI security test cases for supplier evaluation

Conclusion

Evaluating QA partners from the NIS2 supply chain security perspective is a regulatory requirement, not an option. Prioritize partners with security certifications, transparency in practices, and willingness to be audited.

Start with the NIS2 eligibility evaluation at nis2manager.ro.

NIS2 Manager is a product by BetterQA, one of Europe's top software testing companies.