How ApproveThis + UpGuard Automates Security Approvals (Without the Headaches)

When Cybersecurity Meets Approval Chaos

Let's be real-security teams have better things to do than chase down signatures. But when UpGuard flags a critical vendor risk or data leak, you can't afford to let it rot in someone's inbox. That's where ApproveThis comes in. We're not here to sell you buzzwords. This is about fixing the approval bottlenecks that turn urgent security fixes into month-long email chains.

Why This Combo Works

UpGuard tells you what's broken. ApproveThis handles who needs to fix it-and makes sure they actually do. Together via Zapier, they turn risk alerts into actionable workflows. No more:

• Manually creating Jira tickets from UpGuard reports
• CC'ing six executives hoping someone replies
• Losing track of which vulnerabilities got approved for remediation

The License Hack You'll Appreciate

Here's the kicker: approvers only need access to ApproveThis, not UpGuard. When your third-party vendor's security score tanks, their CISO can review/approve mitigation steps directly via email-no UpGuard license required. Saves budget, saves time, saves your sanity.

Real Use Cases (Not Hypothetical Fluff)

1. Data Leaks Don't Care About Your Meeting Schedule

The problem: UpGuard detects sensitive data exposed on an unsecured cloud bucket. Your incident response plan requires CISO and legal approval before IT can lock it down. But your CISO's at a conference, legal's in depositions, and the clock's ticking.

The fix: Zapier auto-creates an ApproveThis request with UpGuard's leak details. Approval thresholds let IT automatically escalate if no response within 2 hours. Vacation delegation reroutes to deputy CISOs. Calculated fields prioritize leaks by severity score.

Who uses this: Healthcare providers (HIPAA compliance), fintechs (customer data), anyone with cloud storage. Example: A 200-person SaaS company reduced breach resolution time from 72hrs to 9hrs by automating approvals for critical incidents.

2. Vendor Score Drops = Time to Act, Not Argue

The problem: A key vendor's security score drops below your contractual threshold. Procurement needs to approve contract termination, but they're waiting on infosec's assessment. Meanwhile, the vendor's sending "everything's fine!" emails.

The fix: UpGuard triggers an approval request with score history and risk factors. Approval groups require consensus from procurement, infosec, and the project owner. Real-time tracking shows who's dragging their feet. Bonus: Attach renegotiation playbooks directly in the approval request.

Who uses this: Manufacturing (supply chain risks), enterprises with 500+ vendors. Example: A global retailer avoided a $2M GDPR fine by cutting off a non-compliant analytics vendor in 48hrs instead of their usual 3-week process.

3. When Your Own Score Takes a Dive

The problem: UpGuard reports your company's security rating dropped 30 points. You need immediate budget approval for penetration testing, but finance is stuck on last quarter's spend.

The fix: Auto-generate approval requests with UpGuard's report and pre-filled budget impact analysis. Use conditional logic to route high-risk drops directly to CFO/COO. ApproveThis' audit trail proves you followed compliance protocols-crucial for industries like banking or defense.

Setting This Up Without Losing Your Mind

If you can order DoorDash, you can build this integration:

1. Connect UpGuard and ApproveThis via Zapier (takes 3 minutes)
2. Pick a trigger: New data leak, score drop, etc.
3. Map UpGuard's alert details to ApproveThis' request form
4. Set approval rules: Thresholds, groups, escalation paths

Pro tip: Start with one critical workflow (like data leaks) before scaling. Most teams see ROI within 2 weeks.

Who Actually Benefits (Besides Your Inner Control Freak)

Security Teams

Stop playing approval secretary. Get real-time visibility into which risks are stuck in legal vs. actually being fixed. Calculated fields auto-prioritize critical issues-no more arguing over what's "urgent."

Procurement & Legal

Review vendor risks in context: UpGuard's data + contract terms + replacement options, all in one approval request. Email-based approvals mean they can handle it between meetings without another login.

Executives

Get escalation alerts only when needed. Approval thresholds mean you're not bombarded for every minor score fluctuation. The dashboard shows clean metrics for audits and board reports.

The Fine Print (We're Not Salespeople, Promise)

This isn't a magic bullet. You still need:

• UpGuard monitoring critical assets/vendors
• Basic approval policies (who approves what)
• A Zapier account (free tier works for testing)

What you don't need: More software licenses. ApproveThis handles external approvers via email, so vendors or clients don't eat into your UpGuard seat count.

Bottom Line: This Isn't "Nice to Have"

Security approvals are where good intentions go to die. UpGuard finds the problems-ApproveThis makes sure they get fixed before your next audit (or breach). The combo is stupidly simple, but that's the point. No PhD required, no month-long implementation.

Next steps: If you're using UpGuard, try our pre-built Zapier templates. Or book a 15-minute demo to see how approval automation works with your existing tools. No sales pitch-just show you how to shave 8hrs off your security review process.