Free security questionnaire response template (Excel + Word)

We've compiled the 50 most common security questionnaire questions with template answers you can customize for your company. Download the Excel or Word template, fill in your specifics, and use it as your response foundation.

What's in the template

The template includes:

• 50 pre-written answers covering encryption, access control, incident response, business continuity, compliance, application security, HR, and privacy
• Source citation placeholders — each answer has a [Your Policy Name, Section X] placeholder for you to fill with your actual document references
• Confidence markers — each answer is tagged as "Standard" (same for most companies), "Customize" (needs your specifics), or "Verify" (may not apply)
• Framework mapping — each question maps to SOC 2, ISO 27001, and CAIQ control IDs

How to use it

Step 1: Download the template

Download Excel Template | Download Word Template

Step 2: Customize the "Standard" answers (30 minutes)

These answers work for most modern SaaS companies. Review them, adjust specifics (cloud provider, tools, team size), and add your document references.

Step 3: Fill in the "Customize" answers (1–2 hours)

These need your specific information: data retention periods, RTO/RPO targets, insurance details, pen test dates, etc.

Step 4: Review "Verify" answers (30 minutes)

These may not apply to your company (physical security for remote teams, HIPAA for non-healthcare, etc.). Mark as N/A with a brief reason, or customize.

Step 5: Save as your master knowledge base

This template becomes your starting point for every future DDQ. When a new questionnaire arrives, Ctrl+F through the template first.

Sample answers from the template

Encryption at rest:

Yes. All customer data at rest is encrypted using AES-256 encryption. Database-level encryption is provided by [AWS RDS / Google Cloud SQL / Azure SQL] with encryption keys managed through [AWS KMS / Google Cloud KMS / Azure Key Vault]. Keys are rotated [annually / per policy]. Encryption at rest covers all data stores including primary databases, backups, and file storage. Reference: [Information Security Policy, Section 5.2]; [SOC 2 Type II Report, CC6.7].

Incident response plan:

Yes, we maintain a formal Incident Response Plan (IRP) that is reviewed and updated [annually]. The plan defines incident classification (P1–P4), escalation procedures, communication protocols (including customer notification within [72 hours] for data breaches), and post-incident review requirements. The IRP is tested [annually] via tabletop exercises. Last test: [Month Year]. Reference: [Incident Response Plan, v1.3]; [SOC 2 Type II Report, CC7.2–CC7.5].

Beyond the template

This template handles ~70% of questions in a standard DDQ. For the remaining 30% — company-specific, nuanced, or unusual questions — you'll need to write custom answers.

If you want to automate the entire process — auto-matching questions to your knowledge base, source-cited answers, format handling, and a learning AI that gets better with every DDQ — FillBase does this automatically.

Try FillBase free — auto-generate answers from your actual documents →