End-to-end TPRM automation, scaling without headcount and more buzzy topics at the big security show
By Resha Chheda
What an incredible week at RSAC 2025. I’m leaving energized, grateful, and more convinced than ever that cybersecurity is at a turning point.This year’s RSAC felt different. The conversations were sharper, the urgency more palpable, and the appetite for real solutions—not just hype—undeniable. One thing stood out loud and clear: Third-Party Risk Management (TPRM) isn’t just a pain point. It’s the pain point.
At our booth, we heard the same frustrations again and again:
“We’re drowning in vendor questionnaires.”
“We can’t keep up without hiring more people.”
“We need automation before our teams burn out.”
Hearing these challenges over and over validated exactly why we built SAFE’s Agentic AI-powered TPRM platform. But seeing people’s eyes light up when they watched it in action? That was the real highlight.
Top RSAC 2025 Trends in TPRM and Agentic AI
This year, TPRM and Agentic AI were front and center at RSA like never before. The market is waking up to a reality: Manual third-party risk management just can’t keep up. And automation isn’t a “nice to have” anymore—it’s survival. Here’s what stood out:
1. The Push for End-to-End Automation
Security leaders shared the same frustration: their current tools automate pieces of the process, not the whole lifecycle. This year’s RSA made it clear—buyers are now demanding automation across every step, from vendor discovery to onboarding, assessment, monitoring, and reporting.
SAFE’s message of “automation across every step” resonated because it wasn’t about faster forms—it was about giving teams their time back without adding headcount.
2. Agentic AI Is Raising Expectations
Agentic AI—AI that acts autonomously without waiting for human prompts—sparked real excitement. People weren’t just asking about AI as an assistant. They were asking:
“Can it actually run parts of the process for me?”
“How much can I delegate to AI safely?”
“What decisions can AI make on its own?”
RSA made it clear: Buyers want AI to move beyond insights and start acting on their behalf, provided there’s transparency and accountability.
3. Fourth-Party Risk and Contract Analysis Are Hot Buttons
While many vendors showcased surface-level monitoring or questionnaire automation, SAFE’s focus on fourth-party discovery and contract analysis automation stood out. These demos got some of the biggest reactions.
One leader summed it up:
“It’s like having a legal team and risk analyst working behind the scenes for every vendor.”
The market no longer wants solutions that stop at surface-level assessments. They want deeper visibility, automatic evidence gathering, and connected insights across the supply chain.
4. Scaling Without Headcount Is the New Mandate
Almost every conversation came back to the same challenge:
“We need to scale, but we’re not getting more people.”
RSAC reinforced that efficiency—scaling TPRM without scaling the team—is the top driver. Automation isn’t viewed as a job threat; it’s viewed as the only way overstretched teams can survive.
And in that context, Agentic AI wasn’t met with skepticism—it was met with relief.
5. AI Skepticism Turns to Belief through Demos
We saw a clear pattern: people were skeptical of “100% automated” claims—until they saw it live. Watching SAFE’s AI agents discover vendors, analyze contracts, map evidence, and generate reports in real time turned doubt into belief, and belief into excitement.
RSA proved that showing AI at work—not just talking about it—changes the conversation.
What Resonated Most
At every turn, these priorities stood out:
- Efficiency through automation – The number one driver. Leaders want to scale without headcount. Practitioners want relief from manual work.
- Actionable insights – People loved the SAFE Score as a fast, clear signal. They weren’t asking for dollar figures; they wanted clarity and confidence.
- A fully automated lifecycle – Many vendors automate a few steps. SAFE’s ability to automate every step resonated strongly as a differentiator.
5 Key Points for Security Leaders
If you lead security, risk, or procurement, RSA 2025 sends a clear message:
- Manual, spreadsheet-driven TPRM isn’t sustainable.
- AI-washing is rampant—ask vendors to show you real AI, not just talk about it.
- Scaling without adding people is a top priority.
- Integration matters—siloed tools are a tough sell.
Final Thoughts on RSAC25 – Hopeful Future for TPRM
RSAC 2025 left me hopeful. Hopeful because security teams are moving past buzzwords and demanding real solutions. Hopeful because TPRM is finally getting the urgency it deserves. And most of all, hopeful because so many people stopped by our booth and said:
“This gives me hope we can finally tackle our TPRM problem.”
That’s the kind of validation every product team dreams of.
If you missed us at RSA, reach out. I’d love to show you what Agentic AI looks like in action. Don’t just believe it—see it. Take a Test Drive Today!
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