Finding the Weak Links In the Chain
From lost revenue to broken client trust to the sheer volume of exposed private information, some of which has far reaching consequences for everyone involved, a data breach can be a corporation’s worst nightmare. And I’ve been seeing a lot of them in my feeds across several platforms. But it’s not the sort of thing that tends to happen spontaneously. Nine times out of ten, there are a variety of factors that culminate in the event. One of which is the supply chain.
By definition, a supply chain is a system of activities involved in handling, distributing, manufacturing, and processing goods in order to move resources from a vendor into the hands of the final consumer (source: Wikipedia). It can be physical, like a warehouse storing goods for delivery, or digital, like the bank’s online services for credit cards and investments. Both are vulnerable to attack and/or exploitation.
Threat actors rarely go after ‘big’ targets in an obvious or ostentatious way. High profile cases tend to get high profile attention...and penalties. Instead they generally go for subtlety or stealth, wending up the network from a vulnerable infiltration point, frequently a third party in association with the ultimate quarry. This is often the point of spear phishing attempts, to gain access into a particular system or network (as opposed to more broad phishing scams, which rely on opportunity and chance).
We throw around terms like ‘zero trust security’, meaning that every user is required to be authenticated and have proper validation before gaining permission to interact with any part of a network, device, location, etc. It’s a strategy designed to prevent, or at least reduce the risk of, vulnerability. Most of the time it works. But the more links in the supply chain, the more places vulnerability can lie. And with malware being as sophisticated and evolved as it is today, all it takes is one.
One security update that didn’t get done, one variable in a software update that created a bug, one infected email that got past the filters, one person who clicked a compromised link. There are any number of ways infiltration can occur. And with advancements in AI, sometimes the threat actors don’t even have to be actively present for it.
This is the reason for robust security. Most of my job as an analyst is to discover what happened after the fact, but an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Having a strong Security Operations Center (SOC) in the first place can reduce the number of weak links. It’s why I often end a report with ‘your friendly neighborhood WISP’, because that is a service we offer.
Cybersecurity as an industry has become part of the supply chain. I’ve seen it compared to having a fire extinguisher. And I can see where the analogy comes from. More complacent folks might think that having one on the counter, tucked behind the coffee maker, toaster and air fryer, might be good enough to consider one’s self protected. But the smart people know that ‘fires’ are happening every day, and can come from the smallest flaw or carelessness. A good SOC team will be on top of the current trends and news. They keep the supply chain strong.
Posted on LinkedIn 10/3/25