TISAX
The automotive industry's shared information-security assessment.
What it is
TISAX (operated by the ENX Association) is an assessment and result-exchange mechanism built on an automotive-specific catalog (VDA ISA). You get assessed once, receive a label, and can share the result with multiple automotive partners instead of being audited repeatedly by each.
Certifiable?
Yes — assessment with a shareable label (not a "certificate" in the ISO sense).
Where it's used
Automotive OEMs and their supply chain; strong in Germany and the wider DACH region.
Effort level
Medium–heavy, similar in spirit to ISO 27001 with automotive specifics.
Typical trigger
An OEM or Tier-1 supplier requires a TISAX label to keep working with them.
Related frameworks
Conceptually close to ISO 27001; the VDA ISA catalog derives from it.
Why it matters
TISAX eliminates redundant audits across the automotive supply chain. Instead of every OEM auditing you separately, you get assessed once by an accredited provider and share the result with all partners — saving time and building standardized trust.
When is it needed?
When an automotive OEM or Tier-1 supplier requires a TISAX label as a condition of working together, when entering the European automotive supply chain, or when handling prototype/design data for vehicle programs.
Use cases
- Tier-1 and Tier-2 automotive suppliers
- Engineering firms handling prototype data
- IT service providers to the automotive industry
- Companies managing connected-vehicle data
- Logistics and manufacturing partners in auto supply chains
Who asks for it?
- Automotive OEMs (VW, BMW, Mercedes, etc.)
- Tier-1 suppliers cascading requirements down
- ENX Association as the governing body
- Procurement teams in automotive manufacturing
- Partners requiring specific TISAX labels (e.g., 'High')
Benefits
- Assess once, share with all automotive partners
- Recognized across the European automotive ecosystem
- Labels are specific (Confidential, High, Very High)
- Aligns with ISO 27001 concepts — reusable effort
- Reduces audit fatigue across supply-chain relationships
- Managed exchange platform avoids ad-hoc report sharing
Legal requirements
Not legally mandated, but commercially required. Without a TISAX label, most European automotive OEMs will not engage in contracts involving confidential data or prototype access.
Key control areas
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