TISAX: Strengthening Information Security in the Automotive Supply Chain

In today’s interconnected automotive industry, safeguarding sensitive data is no longer optional—it’s a business requirement. From design files to customer data, protecting confidential information is critical for building trust and ensuring compliance across complex global supply chains. To address these challenges, the automotive sector relies on TISAX (Trusted Information Security Assessment Exchange), a standardized framework for evaluating and exchanging information security assessments.

While TISAX is often compared to frameworks like ISO/IEC 27001, it is uniquely tailored to the automotive ecosystem, ensuring that manufacturers, suppliers, and service providers operate with consistent levels of security. In this blog, we’ll explore what TISAX is, why it matters, and how organizations can leverage it—particularly in the context of collaboration platforms.

‍

What is TISAX?

TISAX (Trusted Information Security Assessment Exchange) is an assessment and exchange mechanism developed by the ENX Association on behalf of the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA). Its primary purpose is to provide a common standard for information security across the automotive supply chain.

Key elements of TISAX include:

• Standardized Assessments: Based on the VDA Information Security Assessment (ISA), itself aligned with ISO/IEC 27001.
• Mutual Recognition: A TISAX assessment performed once can be shared and recognized by multiple partners, reducing redundant audits.
• Scalability: TISAX covers everything from basic information security requirements to advanced protection needs like prototype handling and data exchange with external partners.
• Assessment Levels: Different assurance levels (AL1, AL2, AL3) correspond to varying levels of risk and sensitivity, ensuring that the required rigor matches the context of data use.

For companies in the automotive industry, TISAX has become the de facto requirement for doing business with Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and large suppliers.

‍

Why TISAX Matters

The automotive ecosystem is increasingly digital, global, and interdependent. Sensitive information flows between OEMs, suppliers, design partners, and service providers at every stage of the vehicle lifecycle. TISAX helps organizations:

• Ensure Consistency: Everyone adheres to the same baseline security expectations.
• Reduce Audit Fatigue: One TISAX assessment can be accepted by multiple partners, avoiding repetitive reviews.
• Enable Trust in Collaboration: Partners know that confidential information—such as prototypes, intellectual property, and customer data—is handled securely.
• Meet Industry Demands: Many OEMs now require TISAX certification before entering into or continuing supplier relationships.

‍

How TISAX Relates to Collaboration Software

Collaboration platforms are at the heart of modern automotive workflows, enabling real-time communication, file sharing, design reviews, and cross-border coordination. However, without strong information security controls, these tools can introduce risks to intellectual property and compliance.

TISAX highlights several areas where collaboration software must align:

• Access Controls: Restricting data access to authorized personnel, ideally with multi-factor authentication (MFA).
• Data Encryption: Protecting files both in transit and at rest to prevent unauthorized disclosure.
• Auditability: Enabling monitoring, logging, and traceability of user actions.
• Data Classification & Handling: Ensuring priceless intellectual property (prototypes, R&D data, customer data) is properly labeled and secured.
• Third-Party Risk Management: Verifying that vendors and platforms supporting collaboration meet TISAX and ISO 27001-aligned standards.

‍

Achieving TISAX Compliance: A Unified Approach

For organizations seeking to align with TISAX requirements, the journey involves both organizational and technical measures:

1. Perform a Gap Analysis: Compare current practices against the VDA ISA controls to identify weaknesses.
2. Establish Governance: Define policies, processes, and roles for handling sensitive information.
3. Harden IT Infrastructure: Implement encryption, intrusion detection, and secure configurations.
4. Leverage Secure Collaboration Tools: Adopt platforms built with strong security features, including encryption, access management, and auditing.
5. Train Employees: Make information security part of the culture by ensuring staff understand their role in protecting sensitive data.
6. Work with Accredited Assessors: Only TISAX-approved audit providers can issue valid assessments.
7. Continuously Monitor & Improve: Security is not static—ongoing monitoring and adaptation to new risks is critical.

‍

Conclusion

TISAX provides the automotive industry with a unified and practical approach to protecting sensitive information in a fast-moving, global supply chain. By aligning security practices across organizations and enabling mutual recognition of assessments, TISAX not only reduces compliance complexity but also strengthens trust between OEMs, suppliers, and service providers.

For companies handling sensitive design data, prototype information, or customer records, achieving TISAX compliance is more than a checkbox—it’s a strategic investment in resilience and long-term competitiveness.

If navigating TISAX requirements feels overwhelming, consider tools and partners that reduce IT complexity while helping ensure compliance, security, and trust across your collaboration ecosystem.