The first four months of 2026 have already reshaped how organizations think about third-party risk.

From regulatory pressure like Digital Operational Resilience Act to the rapid adoption of AI across vendor ecosystems, the gap between what organizations assess and what they actually understand is becoming more visible and more risky.

In this episode, we break down what’s actually changed in third-party risk so far this year, not at a theoretical level, but based on real developments, regulatory shifts, and operational challenges organizations are facing right now.

This is not a high-level conversation. This is a practical review of where programs are falling short and what needs to change.

What We Cover in This Episode

• Why traditional third-party risk models are failing in 2026
• The growing disconnect between vendor assessments and real-world dependencies
• How AI adoption is introducing new, unmeasured risks in third-party ecosystems
• What regulators are actually expecting (and where organizations are still behind)
• The rise of concentration risk, fourth-party risk, and infrastructure dependencies
• Why business continuity assumptions are no longer holding up
• What strong third-party risk programs are starting to do differently
• Practical steps to rethink your approach, immediately

Who This Podcast Is For

• Third-Party Risk Managers
• Vendor & Supplier Risk Professionals
• Procurement Leaders
• Operational Risk & Resilience Teams
• Compliance and Audit Professionals
• Anyone responsible for understanding how third parties impact business continuity and resilience

If you’re responsible for third-party risk, this episode will help you step back and ask a harder question:

👉 Are you assessing vendors… or actually understanding your exposure?

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