Your perimeter is no longer your boundary. Your weakest vendor is. Most of intrusions in the past year involved a third party (ENISA, 2024). Whether it’s a cloud provider, API vendor, or payroll SaaS—attackers are skipping the front gate and breaching through the side doors. Remember SolarWinds? MOVEit? The pattern is clear: Supply chains are now 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬. Yet, many organizations still rely on paper-based vendor risk assessments. Checkboxes over continuous visibility. Here’s what resilient CISOs are doing instead: 1. Real-time third-party risk monitoring (using tools like SecurityScorecard, BitSight) 2. Continuous contract audits for data access clauses 3. Tokenized or anonymized data sharing across vendors 4. Mandatory SBOM (Software Bill of Materials) from all suppliers 5. Shared incident response protocols + breach disclosure SLAs 6. Tiered trust models: not all vendors need the keys to prod Resilience starts with visibility and verification, not blind trust. Because one supplier’s weak endpoint… can become your multimillion-dollar headline. Is your vendor ecosystem hardened—or just assumed compliant? The attacker doesn’t need your login. They just need someone you trust. #CyberSecurity #SupplyChainSecurity #InfoSec #CISO #SaaS #CloudSecurity
Supply Chain Security Solutions
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Summary
Supply-chain-security-solutions are tools, processes, and technologies designed to protect organizations from risks and cyber threats that arise through third-party vendors, interconnected platforms, and global supply networks. They help organizations proactively monitor, manage, and mitigate vulnerabilities, ensuring business continuity and data protection.
- Monitor continuously: Set up real-time tracking and alerts for vendor activity and software integrations to spot issues before they become major breaches.
- Strengthen contracts: Update agreements with clear security requirements, incident response obligations, and accountability for third-party vendors.
- Prioritize visibility: Use specialized platforms to map connections and risks across your entire supplier network, making it easier to identify weak points and respond quickly.
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☢️Manage Third-Party AI Risks Before They Become Your Problem☢️ AI systems are rarely built in isolation as they rely on pre-trained models, third-party datasets, APIs, and open-source libraries. Each of these dependencies introduces risks: security vulnerabilities, regulatory liabilities, and bias issues that can cascade into business and compliance failures. You must move beyond blind trust in AI vendors and implement practical, enforceable supply chain security controls based on #ISO42001 (#AIMS). ➡️Key Risks in the AI Supply Chain AI supply chains introduce hidden vulnerabilities: 🔸Pre-trained models – Were they trained on biased, copyrighted, or harmful data? 🔸Third-party datasets – Are they legally obtained and free from bias? 🔸API-based AI services – Are they secure, explainable, and auditable? 🔸Open-source dependencies – Are there backdoors or adversarial risks? 💡A flawed vendor AI system could expose organizations to GDPR fines, AI Act nonconformity, security exploits, or biased decision-making lawsuits. ➡️How to Secure Your AI Supply Chain 1. Vendor Due Diligence – Set Clear Requirements 🔹Require a model card – Vendors must document data sources, known biases, and model limitations. 🔹Use an AI risk assessment questionnaire – Evaluate vendors against ISO42001 & #ISO23894 risk criteria. 🔹Ensure regulatory compliance clauses in contracts – Include legal indemnities for compliance failures. 💡Why This Works: Many vendors haven’t certified against ISO42001 yet, but structured risk assessments provide visibility into potential AI liabilities. 2️. Continuous AI Supply Chain Monitoring – Track & Audit 🔹Use version-controlled model registries – Track model updates, dataset changes, and version history. 🔹Conduct quarterly vendor model audits – Monitor for bias drift, adversarial vulnerabilities, and performance degradation. 🔹Partner with AI security firms for adversarial testing – Identify risks before attackers do. (Gemma Galdon Clavell, PhD , Eticas.ai) 💡Why This Works: AI models evolve over time, meaning risks must be continuously reassessed, not just evaluated at procurement. 3️. Contractual Safeguards – Define Accountability 🔹Set AI performance SLAs – Establish measurable benchmarks for accuracy, fairness, and uptime. 🔹Mandate vendor incident response obligations – Ensure vendors are responsible for failures affecting your business. 🔹Require pre-deployment model risk assessments – Vendors must document model risks before integration. 💡Why This Works: AI failures are inevitable. Clear contracts prevent blame-shifting and liability confusion. ➡️ Move from Idealism to Realism AI supply chain risks won’t disappear, but they can be managed. The best approach? 🔸Risk awareness over blind trust 🔸Ongoing monitoring, not just one-time assessments 🔸Strong contracts to distribute liability, not absorb it If you don’t control your AI supply chain risks, you’re inheriting someone else’s. Please don’t forget that.
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Your supply chain isn't just a list of vendors. It's a network, so treat it like one. Traditional supply systems struggle to map complex global relationships. Graph technology transforms how organizations visualize, analyze, and secure their interconnected supply networks. Here are eight ways: 🔍 𝗘𝗻𝗱-𝘁𝗼-𝗘𝗻𝗱 𝗩𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 ↳ Graphs enable comprehensive tracking of every supplier, component, and transaction across your entire network. ↳ This unprecedented visibility allows security teams to uncover hidden risks and dependencies. 🛡️ 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 ↳ Graphs provide the ability to model potential disruptions and instantly identify alternative suppliers or distribution routes. ↳ By simulating failure scenarios, organizations can develop robust contingency plans before disruptions occur. 🕸️ 𝗖𝘆𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗗𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 ↳ Graph analytics map potential attack pathways to identify vulnerable suppliers and IT systems within your supply ecosystem. ↳ This network-centric approach reveals how compromised vendors could create cascading security failures. ⛓️ 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝗶𝘁 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 ↳ Graph databases enable precise tracing of component origins and flag anomalous patterns in supplier relationships. ↳ By analyzing historical transaction patterns, organizations can detect suspicious variations. ⚠️ 𝗦𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗙𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘂𝗿𝗲 ↳ Graph algorithms quickly identify critical suppliers or components that could cripple operations if compromised. ↳ This capability helps prioritize security investments toward the most vulnerable nodes in your supply network. 🔎 𝗔𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗹𝘆 & 𝗥𝗶𝘀𝗸 𝗗𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 ↳ Advanced clustering and centrality algorithms applied to supply chain graphs uncover unusual patterns that traditional systems miss. ↳ These sophisticated analytics can detect emerging threats before they materialize into security incidents. 📋 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 & 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 ↳ Graph technology efficiently links compliance data to transactions throughout the supply chain. ↳ This integration ensures all partners meet required security standards across jurisdictional boundaries. ⚡ 𝗥𝗮𝗽𝗶𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲 & 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 ↳ When disruptions occur, graph visualization enables teams to quickly trace impacts across the entire supply chain. ↳ This capability dramatically reduces investigation time from days to minutes. The question isn't whether you can afford to implement graph technology; 𝗶𝘁'𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗱 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗼. This is why at data² we have built the reView platform on the foundation of graphs, so that organizations can analyze connections and risk deep in their supply chain. ♻️ Know someone struggling with supply chain security? Share this post to help them. 🔔 Follow me Daniel Bukowski for daily insights about applying graphs and AI to national security.
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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
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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
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Powered by Technology, Driven by Regulation: The Evolution of Software Supply Chain Security ! The software supply chain has become a critical area of focus for organizations and governments alike. The increasing use of software and third-party vendors has brought about new risks and vulnerabilities that need to be managed. Over the past year, we've seen a surge in cybersecurity threats, and the software supply chain is a prime target for attackers seeking to exploit vulnerabilities. Regulatory requirements have become an important driver of increased focus on software supply chain security. Governments around the world have introduced new regulations and standards to enforce stronger cybersecurity measures for software supply chains. For example, self-attestation requirements in the United States and Canada require organizations to implement appropriate cybersecurity measures and report on their compliance. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has also introduced new guidelines for the management of cybersecurity risks in medical devices, which includes software supply chain management. In the UK, the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) Cyber and Technology Resilience (CTR) regulatory framework for financial services includes software supply chain management. Meanwhile, technology is playing an increasingly important role in assessing and managing software supply chain risk. DevOps teams are increasingly implementing automation and other measures, such as secure coding practices, testing automation, SBOM, and artifact management, to reduce the risk of vulnerabilities. SBOM provides an understanding of the complete software component supply chain including open source assets. Artifact management provides the ability to maintain a secure software assembly line from code commits to production deployment. Together, the combination of secure coding practices, testing automation, SBOM, artifact management and integrated risk management platforms offer an end-to-end supply chain security during software development, maintenance, and distribution. By adopting these technologies, organizations can proactively identify and mitigate risks in their software supply chain, improve their software development practices and enhance cybersecurity posture. In conclusion, organizations need to assess their own risks and ensure they are compliant with relevant regulations and standards such as self-attestation requirements, FDA requirements, CRA, and NIS 2 directive regulatory requirements in Europe. Also, this requires a culture of ongoing vigilance and investment in appropriate security measures. Self-assessment, periodic third-party audits or automated monitoring can be invaluable to provide an early warning system for potential software supply chain risk. By adopting such a comprehensive approach, organizations can build and maintain more secure software products and associate supply chain environment.
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Supply chain #cybersecurity in #industrial settings mirrors the increasing complexity and interdependence of today’s operations. Industrial supply chains are now subject to dynamic #cyberthreats at software, hardware, and service layers, prompting businesses to adopt a new age of continuous assurance. As opposed to traditional single-point safety checks, continuous assurance involves regular verification and monitoring processes that keep software and components safe throughout their lifespan. This strategy hardens security and makes it more difficult for attackers to target vulnerabilities. Industrial Cyber asked experts how the rising complexity of #cyberattacks, reflected in the 2025 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR), is reshaping the way industrial organizations assess and secure their supply chain relationships. “According to the DBIR, exploitation of vulnerabilities increased 34% since last year, and it’s now the number two access vector for breaches, so a robust vulnerability management program is more important than ever,” Bob Kolasky, senior vice president of #criticalinfrastructure at Exiger, said. “Most OT consumers have no idea what’s in their software and firmware supply chain, and the OT vendors don’t either. You need to know all the software components comprising your asset inventory, including transitive dependencies and embedded, 3rd, 4th… nth party subcomponents. Then you need tools that will correctly highlight the highest priority risks to allow you to spend the time remediating what matters.” Zefren Edior, director of customer success at Fortress Information Security, highlighted that third-party risk has emerged as a strategic priority for industrial organizations, with recent data showing that nearly 30% of breaches stem from external partners, a sharp rise from previous years. “This trend is driving a shift from surface-level vendor assessments to more technical, evidence-based validation.” Matt Wyckhouse, CEO of Finite State, said that the DBIR report shows third‑party involvement in breaches doubled to 30% year over year. “At the same time, vulnerability exploitation as an initial access vector rose to 20%, with attackers pivoting to edge devices and VPNs; only ~54% of those exposures were fully remediated, and the median fix took 32 days.” Recognizing that developers are, rightfully, lazy, David Barzilai, vice president for sales and marketing and co-founder at Karamba Security, said that instead of reinventing wheels, they use open-source libraries that provide pre-developed functions, which can be used in the development team’s applications and products. “Already in 2022, open-source software (OSS) was extensively used in industrial applications, with estimates suggesting that 70-90% of any given modern software solution is composed of OSS. AI-generated code is expected to exacerbate OSS usage due to the high velocity of AI code creation.”
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It might be time to shift from supply chain risk to supply chain security. We’ve built an entire industry around C-SCRM frameworks, audits, and attestation, but where’s the measurable drop in real supply chain exposure? If anything, the attack surface keeps compounding. The pivot? Move from documenting risk to actively reducing it. Demand deeper transparency, beyond SBOMs into SecOps transparency (build pipelines, signing, their own supply chain security program practices and metrics, incident handling and response, vulnerability and breach disclosures, internal monitoring with reasonable redactions, etc). Get intrusive (with consent). Continuous monitoring from the inside of supplier environments, not just outside-in scans. Go tactical. Prioritize a short list of high-leverage controls and verify them continuously. Expect friction. This will create pushback from vendors and legal teams. Do it anyway, with clear thresholds, shared playbooks, and incentives. You should be prepared to pay more for your products. This does not come for free. Somebody has to pay the bill. To make this practical, we need clearinghouses, private and public, to broker trusted data, standardize evidence, and enable collective defense without leaking crown jewels. Risk registers don’t stop adversaries. Operational supply chain security does. #supplychainsecurity #radicalsteps #cybersecurity
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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
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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.