Picture this: coffee in hand, you take a seat at your desk. You’re logging into your computer, ready to start your workday. You enter your nifty, well-thought-out password and try to log in. But you can’t, you realize you’re locked out. You may have been the victim of a supply chain attack.
What is a Supply Chain Attack?
Supply chain attacks are a type of cyberattack that targets an organization by compromising one of its suppliers or vendors. These attacks can be incredibly difficult to detect and can have devastating consequences for the victim organization.
We didn’t come here to be the bearer of bad news, so we’re going to share 5 tips with you on how your organization can tackle this cybersecurity threat head-on.
1. Eliminate the Weakest Link
Yes, your employees. According to Verizon’s 2022 Data Breaches Investigations Report, 82% of data breaches involved a human element. Employees are often forgotten, leaving a wide gap open for cybercriminals to strike.
That’s why it’s critical to train your employees on cybersecurity best practices, such as using antivirus software and only accessing sensitive data when absolutely necessary. By doing so, you can help eliminate the weakest link in your organization’s supply chain.
2. The Power Duo: Antivirus and Managed Cybersecurity
While both are highly protective, using antivirus software and managed cybersecurity services are not one and the same. Antivirus only protects against known threats, whereas managed cybersecurity services provide proactive protection against unknown threats through 24/7 monitoring, detection, and response.
This power duo means you can have the best of both worlds when it comes to supply chain attacks – known and unknown.
3. Identify Vulnerabilities
A pivotal step to mitigating any attack is identifying your organization’s vulnerabilities. This can be done through a vulnerability assessment, which is a process of identifying, classifying, and ranking vulnerabilities in your system.
By conducting a vulnerability assessment, you can get ahead of supply chain attacks by understanding where your weaknesses lie. From there, you can take the necessary steps to mitigate those vulnerabilities and protect your organization’s security.
Be weakness free by tackling these threats head-on.
4. Minimize Access to Sensitive Data
One way to further protect your organization is to minimize access to sensitive data. According to Dark Reading, data minimization is a requirement of General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Article 5(1)(c) and a reoccurring theme throughout the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), which requires disclosure of what information is being held and how it is being used.
In need of some more tangible advice? Follow these steps:
- Identify which employees need access to sensitive data and for what purpose
- Restrict access to only those employees who need it
- Regularly review and update who has access to sensitive data
By following these steps, you can help ensure that sensitive data doesn’t fall into the wrong hands – aka cybercriminals. This may sound like a no-brainer but supply chain attacks often occur because an organization has too much data and not enough security measures in place.
5. Say Goodbye to Supply Chain Attacks with Telewire
Now that you know how to tackle supply chain attacks head-on, you might be thinking “Great tips, but where do I start?”
That’s where Telewire comes in. We’re a managed cybersecurity service provider that offers 24/7 monitoring and protection against known and unknown threats – perfect for attacks. MSPs are an ideal option due to their proactive approach to supply chain security, which is vital in today’s threat landscape.
In addition to this, our team of cybersecurity experts can help you identify and mitigate vulnerabilities in your system. So, if you’re looking for a comprehensive solution to attacks, look no further than Telewire.
Get in touch with us today to learn more about how we can help protect your organization from supply chain attacks.
