Handling security document requests
Most requests should be approved without a human. Write the rules once and the only requests that wait are the ones that should.
Handle security document requests with written rules: existing customers receive gated documents once the NDA is accepted, prospects with an open opportunity receive them after the NDA and a quick sales confirmation, and every other request goes to a named approver with a same-day target. Log every release. With those rules, most requests take minutes and only the unusual ones need a person.
What approval rules work?
| Requester | Rule | Target time |
|---|---|---|
| Existing customer, matching email domain | Release after NDA or existing agreement | Immediate |
| Prospect with an open opportunity | Release after NDA and sales owner confirmation | Same business day |
| Customer's auditor or adviser | Release after NDA, with the customer named | Same business day |
| Unknown company, personal email address | Approver decides; ask for company and purpose | One business day |
| Known competitor | Decline politely; offer the public page | One business day |
| Security researcher | Point to vulnerability disclosure, not the report | One business day |
Why do document requests stall?
- No named approver. The request sits in a shared inbox.
- Legal reviews every NDA. Solved by a standard click-through template.
- The report is hard to find. Solved by one document library with one current version.
- The approver is also the CTO. Solved by rules that auto-approve the safe cases, or a managed service.
What should we measure?
Time from request to release, the share of requests auto-approved, and how many requests came from accounts sales did not know about. The last one is a buying signal worth passing to sales the same day. Measuring a trust centre covers the rest.
Common questions
Should we release our SOC 2 report to anyone who signs the NDA?
Not automatically. Release to customers and genuine prospects, and route anyone else to an approver. The NDA records acceptance of the restriction; it does not establish a need to know.
How fast should a document request be answered?
Same business day for customers and active prospects is a sensible target. A request that waits a week signals to the buyer how you will handle their incidents.
Hand off document requests
A managed trust centre handles requests end to end under your rules.
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