Get TISAX Certified
Trusted Information Security Assessment Exchange for automotive suppliers and service providers.
TISAX is the Trusted Information Security Assessment Exchange used across the automotive industry to standardize supplier assessments and reduce repeated audits.
Neutral Partners helps you scope the right assessment objectives and sites, align controls to VDA ISA, build audit-ready evidence, and maintain readiness after the label is issued.
At a Glance
- Best for: Automotive suppliers, engineering services, software vendors, manufacturers, and MSPs working with OEMs
- Based on: VDA ISA requirements and ENX governance
- Outcome: An assessment result you can share through the TISAX exchange, often including a label and assessment level
- Common failure point: Unclear scope and weak operational proof for physical security and prototype handling
Start with assessment objectives and scope.
Schedule a Discovery SessionWhat Is TISAX
TISAX is an assessment and exchange mechanism for information security in the automotive ecosystem. It is governed by the ENX Association and based on the VDA ISA requirements.
The exchange part matters. Once assessed, you can share results with participating automotive partners instead of repeating the same assessment for every customer.
TISAX is specific to OEM risks, including prototype protection, development data handling, and supplier ecosystem controls.
Who Needs TISAX
TISAX is common for organizations that interact with OEMs, tier suppliers, or automotive development programs.
- Engineering and design services
- Software vendors supporting vehicle programs
- Manufacturing suppliers handling technical drawings and development data
- Testing labs and R and D partners
- IT and managed services providers supporting automotive environments
- Organizations handling prototypes or pre-release vehicle information
If an OEM procurement team asks for TISAX, they usually mean they want to share your assessment result in the exchange.
What TISAX Covers
TISAX covers operational, technical, and physical security requirements. It is often stricter than teams expect on physical security and operational discipline.
Expect focus in areas like:
- Information security management: Governance, policies, risk management, and accountability.
- Access control: Identity controls, least privilege, and privileged access management.
- Asset and configuration management: Inventories, secure configurations, and change control.
- Logging and monitoring: Visibility, review routines, and incident handling.
- Supplier and third-party management: Vendor risk, contracts, and monitoring.
- Physical security: Site security, visitor control, and secure areas.
- Prototype protection: Handling procedures, storage, transport, and secure workspaces.
- Data protection requirements: Privacy and data handling controls when applicable.
Assessment Levels and Objectives
TISAX assessments are defined by assessment objectives and assessment levels.
- Assessment objectives: What topics are in scope, such as information security, prototype protection, and data protection.
- Assessment levels: The depth of validation required, commonly referred to as levels such as AL2 or AL3 depending on customer demands.
Your customers often specify the required objective and level. The fastest path is to confirm the requirement, then scope only what is needed to meet it.
Evidence Auditors Expect
TISAX audits require proof that controls exist and operate, including on-site validation for physical and operational controls in many cases.
Typical evidence includes:
- Governance artifacts: Policies, risk assessments, and management review records.
- Scope artifacts: Site lists, system inventories, data flow diagrams, and network diagrams.
- Operational artifacts: Access reviews, change tickets, incident tickets, training completion, vendor reviews.
- Physical artifacts: Visitor logs, badge access records, secure area controls, and camera coverage where applicable.
- Prototype artifacts: Handling procedures, storage controls, tracking logs, and access limitations.
- Technical artifacts: Configuration exports, logging dashboards, and vulnerability scan results.
Rule of thumb: "We always do it this way" is not evidence unless it is documented and recorded.
TISAX Roadmap
TISAX succeeds when you confirm objectives early, scope sites tightly, and build evidence that can be validated on site.
Confirm customer requirements and assessment objectives
Identify which partners require TISAX, confirm the required objectives and level, and list the sites and systems in scope.
Run a VDA ISA based gap assessment
Assess controls against relevant VDA ISA requirements, identify gaps in governance, operations, and physical security, and convert gaps into an implementation roadmap.
Implement controls and operational routines
Formalize access controls, strengthen change control and evidence routines, implement physical security and visitor management, and document prototype handling processes.
Build evidence and prepare for assessment
Collect artifacts by requirement and by site, validate traceability and evidence freshness, and run internal walkthroughs before the assessor arrives.
Support the accredited assessment
Coordinate with the audit provider, manage evidence requests, remediate findings, and document closure.
Maintain and renew
Build a cadence for recurring control activities, keep sites and inventories current, and track changes to facilities, systems, and suppliers.
If an OEM Is Waiting on TISAX, Do Not Guess
We will confirm your required objectives and level, then build the roadmap to assessment with your team.
Schedule a Discovery SessionCommon TISAX Gaps
- Scope confusion: Sites and systems are not clearly defined, which increases audit effort
- Physical security gaps: Visitor controls and secure area requirements are not consistently enforced or evidenced
- Prototype handling gaps: Procedures exist but logs and access controls are weak
- Vendor risk gaps: Supplier access and third party controls are not documented and monitored
- Operational evidence gaps: Control activities happen, but proof is not recorded consistently
- Policy drift: Written policies do not match day to day operations
How Neutral Partners Helps
We help automotive suppliers build controls and evidence that auditors can validate.
What We Deliver
- Scope and objective planning: Sites, systems, and assessment objectives aligned to customer requirements
- VDA ISA gap assessment: Requirement by requirement assessment with evidence review
- Control implementation support: Operational, technical, and physical security control buildout
- Evidence mapping: Traceability from requirements to artifacts by site
- Assessment support: Coordination with audit providers and remediation validation
- Sustainment: Cadence and templates to keep readiness year round
Proof matters. Since 2017, we have maintained a 100% audit success rate across more than 700 successful audits and assessments.
TISAX FAQs
Is TISAX the same as ISO 27001?
No. TISAX is an automotive specific assessment exchange based on VDA ISA. ISO 27001 is an ISMS certification standard. Many organizations use ISO 27001 as a foundation, then map and extend controls to meet TISAX objectives.
How do we know what assessment level we need?
Your customers usually specify it. If they do not, start by identifying the data types you handle, whether prototypes are involved, and which partners require what level.
Does TISAX require on-site audits?
Many TISAX assessments involve on-site validation, especially for physical security and prototype protection controls. The audit provider and assessment scope determine the method.
What is the biggest driver of TISAX effort?
Scope across sites. More sites and mixed processes increase evidence volume and validation time. Tight scoping and consistent controls across sites reduces effort.
Can we reuse SOC 2 or ISO evidence?
Often, yes for governance, IAM, logging, vulnerability management, and incident response. You will still need to address automotive specific requirements, especially physical security and prototype handling.