In the wake of a crippling cyber-attack that affected prominent organisations including British Airways, Boots, and the BBC, a deepening concern arises regarding the vulnerabilities within the supply chain.
The breach, which resulted in compromised payroll data, has now directed attention toward the potential exploitation of AI weaknesses.
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Emerging threat
According to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, the battle against cyber-attacks may have reached a critical turning point, as AI vulnerabilities emerge as a looming threat within the supply chain.
“The ingenuity behind these attacks is beyond the capability of most enterprises to prevent occurring. They can only take steps to be as resilient as possible. These attacks are tried and tested perhaps more than many realise,” GlobalData’s Principal Analyst of Thematic Intelligence, David Bicknell said, adding that these attacks are far more prevalent than commonly acknowledged, shedding light on the urgent need to address supply chain vulnerabilities.
Bicknell further pointed out that most enterprises lack the capability to entirely prevent these attacks and can only strive to enhance their resilience.
Risk management
On his part, Rajesh Muru, Principal Analyst and Global Enterprise Cybersecurity Lead at GlobalData, identified the insufficiency of risk management across company supply chains as a pivotal factor in the recent attacks.
“This is a classic case of insufficient risk management posture across company supply chains. Risk management compliance guidelines like NIST go some way to address supply chain cybersecurity risks. However, both user and supplier initiatives around cybersecurity are just not sophisticated enough to drive visibility across the complete supply chain,” Muru said, adding that this lack of visibility often leaves end-user enterprises unaware of the security posture throughout the supply chain, resulting in an inadequate response time and heightened vulnerability.
Boosting supply chain security
To mitigate the risks posed by such attacks, organisations must prioritise bolstering their supply chain security. This entails ensuring the adoption of up-to-date anti-virus software and investing in comprehensive end-user education to combat the increasingly sophisticated tactics employed by attackers, such as phishing and other social engineering techniques.
As the cyber landscape continues to evolve, it becomes paramount for security specialists, companies, researchers, security vendors, and governments to collaborate and channel their utmost efforts towards fortifying the supply chain against emerging threats.
By proactively addressing supply chain vulnerabilities and integrating robust security measures, organisations can enhance their resilience and safeguard critical data from malicious actors.
