Understanding Supply Chain Visibility

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has released the draft publication “Developing Security, Privacy, and Cybersecurity Supply Chain Risk Management Plans for Systems” open for public comment until July 30. The document provides a structured approach for organizations to develop and maintain integrated plans that address security, #privacy, and #supplychain risks across the entire system lifecycle. It introduces a framework built around three interrelated plans: - System Security Plan (SSP): Documents the system’s security controls and requirements. - System Privacy Plan (SPP): Identifies and addresses privacy risks and applicable controls. - #Cybersecurity Supply Chain Risk Management Plan (C-SCRM): Focuses on managing risks related to third-party software, hardware, services, and suppliers. The guidance also outlines how organizations can: - Define roles and responsibilities for developing and maintaining these plans. - Document key system characteristics, including data flows, interconnections, and system boundaries. - Align each plan with organizational risk tolerance, operational needs, and regulatory requirements. - Establish update procedures to keep plans current with evolving threats and technology. - Track changes and maintain documentation using automation and configuration management tools. - Address supply chain risks in modern IT environments, including cloud, open-source, and hybrid systems. This draft is intended to help organizations bring greater consistency and integration to system-level planning and risk management efforts.

Blockchain technology offers a transformative approach to supply chain tracking by enhancing transparency, efficiency, and security. Blockchain creates a decentralized, immutable ledger that records transactions across multiple nodes, ensuring data integrity and visibility for all parties involved. This transparency reduces fraud and enables comprehensive tracking of a product's journey from origin to consumer, including its processing, transport, and sale. Integrating smart contracts automates operations, reducing verification times and enhancing overall efficiency. Implementing blockchain involves identifying critical points in the supply chain where it adds the most value, ensuring it works seamlessly with existing systems, and fostering collaboration among all participants. However, for successful implementation, challenges such as resistance to technology adoption, scalability issues, and ensuring privacy and compliance need to be addressed. Despite these challenges, blockchain's potential to revolutionize supply chain management makes it a valuable tool for businesses aiming to improve their operational processes. #blockchain #supplychain

🔗 Blockchain in Global Supply Chains: Towards Decentralized, Programmable and Financial Infrastructures 🌍 The digital transformation of industrial supply chains — such as steel, rubber, and critical minerals — is shifting from centralized models to blockchain-based infrastructures that enable end-to-end traceability, automation, privacy, and native financial operations. Blockchain is not just a distributed database. It is a decentralized logical infrastructure capable of: ✅ Executing smart contracts to automate payments and audits ✅ Protecting sensitive data through Zero-Knowledge Proofs (ZKPs) and Fully Homomorphic Encryption (FHE) ✅ Integrating external sources (IoT, oracles) for real-time validation ✅ Tokenizing physical and financial assets, enabling instant liquidity ⚙️ Current applications across global industries: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company and Michelin are tracking rubber from plantations to assembly lines, certifying sustainable practices on-chain. ArcelorMittal and thyssenkrupp are tracing emissions and raw material origins in the steel industry to meet ESG standards. Platforms like Circulor, MineHub, and TradeLens are operating as blockchain-based industrial networks, fully integrated with ERP systems and IoT devices. 🚀 Emerging trends driving this transformation: 🔹 DePIN (Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks): Networks such as Helium and DIMO allow the direct recording of physical data (logistics, geolocation, air quality, load sensors, etc.) on blockchain — without relying on centralized operators. This enhances real-time visibility across the supply chain, even in remote regions. 🔹 Tokenization of trade finance instruments (e.g., letters of credit, invoices): With enterprise-grade DeFi solutions (like Centrifuge or TradeFinex), it is now possible to issue and trade tokenized credit instruments on blockchain, using real-world assets (invoices, orders, contracts) as collateral. This brings instant liquidity to industrial SMEs and reduces reliance on traditional banking systems. 📊 The result: A self-governing, resilient, and financial supply chain, where physical, digital, and monetary flows are integrated into a single, verifiable network — fully aligned with global regulatory requirements (CSRD, CBAM, ISO 14067...). 📣 Companies that understand blockchain as infrastructure — not just technology — are leading the new era of intelligent and sustainable logistics. #Blockchain #SupplyChain #DePIN #Tokenization #SmartContracts #IndustrialIoT #Fintech #ESG #Web3 #FHE #ZKP #Traceability #Steel #Rubber #Liquidity #DigitalTrade #Sustainability Joaquim Alfredo José Daniel Nelley Alejandro Sivakumar Tomás David Juan Paris Hidenori Dra. Carlos

Third-Party Risk: The Hidden Cybersecurity Battlefield in Modern Supply Chains In our interconnected digital ecosystem, your security posture is only as strong as your weakest vendor. Modern enterprises rely on 100s of third-party vendors, creating an exponentially expanding attack surface. Supply chain attacks have become the preferred vector for sophisticated threat actors. Instead of targeting well-defended enterprises directly, attackers exploit vulnerabilities in trusted vendors to simultaneously breach hundreds of downstream organizations. Game-Changing Examples SolarWinds (2020): Compromised software updates affected 18,000+ customers including Fortune 500 companies and government agencies, demonstrating how a single vendor breach cascades across entire sectors. MOVEit (2023): A single vulnerability led to data breaches affecting over 600 organizations globally, showcasing the massive scale of modern supply chain impacts. Why Third-Party Risk Monitoring is Critical Continuous Visibility: Traditional annual assessments are insufficient. Organizations need real-time monitoring of vendor security posture, breach notifications, and compliance status changes. Risk Amplification: When attackers target managed service providers or software vendors, the impact multiplies across all their clients. One compromised vendor can expose thousands of organizations simultaneously. Regulatory Liability: With GDPR, CCPA, and emerging supply chain regulations, organizations face increasing liability for third-party security failures. Proactive monitoring demonstrates due diligence. Building Effective Defense Continuous Assessment: Implement real-time vendor risk scoring across your entire ecosystem Zero Trust Extension: Apply least-privilege access controls to all third-party connections Incident Response Integration: Ensure your IR plans account for vendor breaches with clear communication protocols Contractual Protection: Update vendor agreements with security requirements and liability provisions The Bottom Line Organizations can no longer treat vendor risk as procurement afterthought. The question isn't whether your supply chain will be targeted — it's whether you'll detect and respond effectively when it happens. The strongest security programs extend beyond organizational boundaries to create defensible ecosystems, not just defensible enterprises. #ThirdPartyRisk #TRPM #SupplyChainAttack #CyberSecurity

🚀 Excited to share my latest project: a fully autonomous Smart Warehouse Management System built using the Agent Communication Protocol (ACP)! This innovative system features four intelligent agents InventoryBot, OrderProcessor, LogisticsBot, and WarehouseManager working seamlessly together to manage stock, schedule deliveries, and handle reorders, all through standardized, real-time communication. 🌟 What is ACP?   ACP is a framework that enables autonomous agents to communicate effectively using structured messages with defined performatives (e.g., ASK, REQUEST_ACTION, TELL, CONFIRM). It ensures clear, reliable interactions, making it ideal for complex systems like smart warehouses where coordination is key. 🌟 How It Works:   Scenario 1: Stock Alert & Reorder - The OrderProcessor checks stock levels with InventoryBot and triggers reorders to maintain minimum availability (e.g., reordering to fill low laptop stock).  Scenario 2: Delivery Scheduling - The WarehouseManager directs LogisticsBot to schedule deliveries of goods, with LogisticsBot confirming the schedule including a tracking ID for transparency.  Scenario 3: Low Stock Management - InventoryBot alerts the WarehouseManager of low stock (e.g., 5 tablets), prompting a confirmation that 15 tablets are needed; the WarehouseManager then requests OrderProcessor to place an order for 15 tablets, with OrderProcessor confirming via a PO number.  The interactive frontend visualizes these interactions, complete with a Statistics dashboard (e.g., total messages: 6, active conversations: 3, registered agents: 4) to monitor performance, making it perfect for real-world adoption. 🏭Impact on Logistics: This solution transforms the logistics industry by reducing manual oversight, optimizing stock levels, and streamlining delivery schedules. With real-time data and automated reordering, warehouses can operate 24/7, cut costs, and improve customer satisfaction key drivers in today’s fast-paced supply chain. This showcase how AI and ACP can revolutionize warehouse management. Check out the demo video to see it in action!

The recent Salesloft Drift (a third party application on Salesforce) breach is a powerful reminder that even the most sophisticated, well-resourced organisations are vulnerable when their supply chain security is in question. Tech titans—leaders who invest heavily in cyber defense—have now joined a long list of victims in a campaign rooted not in advanced malware, but in simple exploitation of third-party SaaS integrations. What’s striking is the attack itself wasn’t particularly high-tech. The adversaries exploited stolen OAuth tokens via Salesloft Drift’s integration with Salesforce — something any organisation could miss when the number of connected apps is ever-increasing. This breach highlights just how our reliance on interconnected SaaS platforms and supply chain partners inherently amplifies risk. If you’re integrating, you’re inheriting exposure—sometimes in ways even robust internal controls cannot offset. While it’s true that no single tool can guarantee prevention, SSPM (SaaS Security Posture Management) platforms are now essential for modern SaaS-centric businesses. The right SSPM doesn’t just help you set policies—it monitors for abnormal access, flags risky apps, and enables rapid detection and response when something goes wrong. In this case, an SSPM solution may not have blocked the initial token misuse, but it absolutely could have empowered incident response teams to respond far more swiftly—limiting data exfiltration and shoring up defenses before cascade breaches occur. For those in the market, consider best-in-class SSPM solutions like Obsidian Security (highly regarded for supply chain visibility), AppOmni, Adaptive Shield (Crowdstrike), and others now leading this critical category. Having deep insight into SaaS app risk posture isn't yet part of the Essential 8 - the security of your business will depend on it. Cyber resilience isn’t just about securing your walls—it’s about keeping an eagle eye on your supply chain, practicing robust integration hygiene, and investing in modern SSPM capabilities. The organisations that thrive tomorrow are preparing today. #cybersecurity #SSPM #Salesloft #SaaSsecurity #SupplyChain #IncidentResponse

Hey there! 👋 Let's talk about something that's probably keeping you up at night - inventory management. I see so many amazing e-commerce businesses treating their inventory like a coin flip, and honestly, it breaks my heart because I know how much potential they're leaving on the table. 💔 Just last quarter, I had the pleasure of working with a fantastic client who was juggling inventory chaos across multiple channels. Sound familiar? We're talking disconnected systems, endless spreadsheets, and that exhausting cycle of putting out fires instead of actually growing the business. Here's the beautiful thing - the fix didn't require rocket science, but wow, did it change everything! ✨ We set up real-time inventory syncing that actually works. Now when something sells on Amazon, their Shopify store knows about it instantly. When wholesale orders come flooding in, their direct-to-consumer channel automatically adjusts. It's like magic, but better because it's real! We also implemented smart reorder points with safety stock buffers - no more playing the "will we run out?" guessing game. Plus, we strategically positioned their inventory in modern fulfillment centers to create a distribution network that just flows. The transformation was incredible: no more awkward conversations with customers about delays, no more sitting on piles of inventory in one location while being sold out everywhere else. The numbers speak for themselves - 98% order fulfillment with 25% lower carrying costs! 🎉 That's what happens when you stop treating each channel like a separate business and start thinking like the unified operation you really are. At the end of the day, your customers want their stuff fast and hassle-free. They don't care about your backend systems - they just want that seamless experience every single time. I'm curious - what's your biggest multi-channel inventory headache right now? Let's chat about it! #EcommerceSolutions #LogisticsExcellence

How to assess and gain confidence in your supply chain cyber security A practical guide by National Cyber Security Centre It's not just about securing your own organization, but also ensuring the security of your suppliers. Here's a practical, step-by-step guide to help you navigate this complex landscape. Before You Start - Understand your organization's approach to cyber security risk management. - Identify threats to your supply chain based on your relationship with suppliers. - Understand your organization's risk appetite and processes. - Get senior buy-in to implement change and improve supply chain cyber security. Stage 2: Develop an Approach to Assess Supply Chain Cyber Security - Understand and prioritize what matters to your organization. - Create key components for your approach to supply chain cyber security. Stage 3: Apply the Approach to New Supplier Relationships - Embed new security practices throughout the contract lifecycle of new suppliers. - Increase awareness of supply chain threats among staff. - Regularly measure performance against defined metrics. Stage 4: Integrate the Approach into Existing Supplier Contracts - Review your existing contracts upon renewal or sooner for critical suppliers. - Risk assess 'high priority' suppliers against defined security controls. - Identify suppliers with security shortfalls and agree on a plan to improve their security. Stage 5: Continuously Improve - Regularly refine your approach as new issues emerge. - Maintain awareness of evolving threats and update practices accordingly. - Collaborate with your suppliers for mutual benefit. Final thoughts Navigating supply chain cyber security doesn't have to be daunting. By understanding your organization's risk management approach, developing a robust assessment strategy, applying it to new and existing supplier relationships, and continuously improving your practices, you can significantly enhance your supply chain security. Remember, it's a continuous process that requires regular review and adaptation. Source of the pic: https://lnkd.in/eVJT54Jq P.S.: Which supply chain security framework do you prefer? #supplychain #cybersecurity #infosec #breach

As we look at the evolution of tracking visibility in logistics, it's clear we're on the cusp of a new era. Here's how I think of the "history" of freight visibility: 📱Visibility 1.0 (2010-2016): This phase was characterized by basic tracking using cell phones: • Simple location pings from drivers' mobile devices 🖥️ Visibility 2.0 (2017-present): This phase marked a significant improvement with: • Integration of Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs) and GPS systems • More accurate and reliable tracking data • Real-time freight visibility, allowing shippers to react swiftly to unforeseen events • Integration into TMS platforms • Multi-modal tracking capabilities • Ability to monitor efficiency of operations and manage resources effectively 📶 Visibility 3.0 (Emerging future): This phase represents the next evolution in load tracking, featuring: • Multi-dimensional tracking beyond just location • Temperature tracking for sensitive cargo • Altitude monitoring • Potential for advanced data analytics and predictive capabilities • Comprehensive visibility systems using data cleansing, machine learning, and multimodal stitching • Data products built on top of visibility products The progression from 1.0 to 3.0 shows a clear trend towards more sophisticated, data-rich, and proactive visibility solutions. It's been a blast to drive the industry toward richer, more actionable visibility at Trucker Tools. Brokers and shippers - what do you want to see out of the era of Visibility 3.0?

So you start selling [X] online through your own storefront. $1m in sales. Grow organically to $5m. Great. Add in TikTok as a selling channel. $25m. Get a deal with [retailer] and start selling in their stores. $50m. Bring on some investors and add advanced reporting. Add in another 3PL to get next day delivery on both costs. $75m. Add an ERP. $100m. Add a returns management solution. $125m. Open a few physical stores with POSes. $150m. Start fulfilling from store to get same day delivery. $200m. This is an extremely common setup for brands. At this point, you have four selling channels, two back office systems of record and two different 3PLs selling $200m GMV. Eight different systems needing real-time access to order-related data. Metcalfe's law says # of pathways = nodes (8)² = 64 unique bi-directional pathways between systems. Do an acquisition or two and you could have hundreds of bi-directional pathways between systems. At this point, brands have historically faced a decision - they can throw out the hacked together iPasS that's gotten them to this point, build a data model and rewrite it all from scratch - or they can "upgrade" to an OMS and rebuild all those point-to-point connections and then maintain them forever. We at Pipe17 have an entirely different approach to order management that starts with a *network*. Connectivity is the problem to solve in order management and we're the first and only product to build order management on top of a network. Some of our customers have > 25 individual systems that need order data. Plug in your API keys and we'll ingest your orders into our network, normalize to our canonical data model and allow full interoperability with any of the hundreds of selling channels, back office systems of record and fulfillment channels in our network. It's a categorically different approach to Order Management that's disrupting the legacy OMS market.