Ankita Ajith DESHPANDE
Erie,Colorado
Summary
Dynamic Information Security professional specializing in Third-Party Risk Management, with a proven record of reducing security risks by 80% through comprehensive vendor assessments of over 950 critical partners. Expertise in developing assessment methodologies aligned with NIST and ISO 27001, facilitating informed risk decisions across organizational stakeholders.
Overview
1
1
Certification
2027
2027
years of professional experience
Work History
Vendor Security Analyst
LEVIATHAN SECURITY GROUP
Seattle, WA
- Current
- Managed security assessments for 950+ critical vendors, reducing identified security risks by 80% through structured control reviews, risk analysis, remediation tracking, and risk-based recommendations.
- Led end-to-end third-party security reviews using questionnaires, policies, procedures, technical controls, audit reports, penetration-test results, and compliance evidence including SOC 2, HIPAA, and PCI DSS.
- Performed holistic reviews of technical, administrative, and compliance evidence to identify control gaps, determine risk exposure, and recommend practical remediation actions.
- Developed vendor security assessment methodologies aligned with NIST and ISO 27001, improving consistency and repeatability across third-party assessments.
- Managed remediation follow-up for identified security gaps, clarified corrective-action expectations with vendor stakeholders, and supported risk closure.
- Monitored critical vendors using security ratings, threat intelligence, and continuous assessment tools to identify emerging risks and support ongoing third-party risk decisions.
- Partnered with Legal, Procurement, IT, and Business teams to clarify security requirements, evaluate vendor risk, resolve complex security questions, and support informed third-party decisions.
- Reviewed vendor security documentation and requirements to identify security considerations relevant to third-party onboarding and ongoing risk management.
- Translated technical security findings and control requirements into clear written and verbal recommendations for technical and non-technical stakeholders, including senior management.
- Escalated significant security concerns and unresolved risks to appropriate stakeholders and supported risk-based decision-making.
- Provided guidance and security best-practice training to a six-member team, promoting consistent assessment practices and quality of third-party security reviews.
- Direct Client: Google Inc.
IT Security Intern
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA
Tampa, FL
01.2019 - 08.2019
- Reviewed and updated security policies, procedures, standards, and guidelines while supporting compliance monitoring and regulatory research.
- Assisted with vulnerability assessments and penetration testing for applications, identifying security weaknesses and contributing to an 85% efficiency improvement.
- Monitored, investigated, and reported suspicious activity while supporting security incident and threat-response operations.
Education
Master of Science - Electrical Engineering and Cybersecurity
University of South Florida
Tampa, FL05-2019
Bachelor's - Electronics and Communication
V.T.U. Technology
Belagavi, India09-2016
Skills
- Third-Party Risk Management (TPRM) Vendor Security Assessments Vendor Risk Analysis Risk Identification & Treatment Vendor Remediation Security Questionnaires Security Control Assessment Compliance Evidence Review Third-Party Monitoring Vendor Lifecycle Management Security Requirements Risk Escalation Stakeholder Management Risk Reporting NIST ISO 27001 SOC 2 AWS Security
- Information Security: Access Management, Infrastructure Security, Network Security, Application Security, Vulnerability Management, Endpoint Security, Incident Response, Threat Intelligence, IDS/IPS, Firewall Rules, DLP, SIEM
- Risk & Compliance: Vendor Risk Management (VRM), Third-Party Risk Assessment (TPRA), Security Control Assessment, Risk Remediation, Compliance Monitoring
- Frameworks & Standards: NIST, ISO 27001, SOC 2, HIPAA, PCI DSS
- Cloud & Tools: AWS, IAM, AWS Security Hub, CloudTrail, Nessus, Qualys
- Programming: Python (Basic)
Personal Information
Title: THIRD-PARTY RISK MANAGEMENT | VENDOR SECURITY | SECURITY RISK ASSESSMENTS
Certification
CompTIA Security+ | CRISC — In Progress
Timeline
IT Security Intern
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA
01.2019 - 08.2019
Vendor Security Analyst
LEVIATHAN SECURITY GROUP
- Current
Master of Science - Electrical Engineering and Cybersecurity
University of South Florida
Bachelor's - Electronics and Communication
V.T.U. Technology