When it comes to digital supply chain security, there are many things that you must keep in mind. These include self-attestation, data discovery, and the potential impact of cyber-attacks on your business.
Data discovery
Data discovery is a critical part of any enterprise’s data management strategy. It provides access to a company’s entire data portfolio, which can help it to make smarter decisions. It can also help businesses identify outliers and address potential threats.
Almost every business collects and stores large amounts of data. It can come from customers, vendors, operations, and production processes. It is place in various systems and applications, such as databases, shared files, and cloud storage applications. It is necessary to protect this information from unwanted exposure.
Today, organizations are digitizing more and more of their operations, which means that their data is moving from one location to another. This can lead to several issues, such as data inefficiency and security breaches. However, it also opens new opportunities for organizations.
Self-attestation
A new policy from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) will require agencies to collect self-attestations from software providers before the government can use their products. This policy created in response to the SolarWinds security breach and President Joe Biden’s Executive Order 14028.
The memo provides several recommendations to increase cybersecurity of software supply chains. For example, it recommends creating a government-wide repository for software artifacts. This will improve the visibility of supply chain risks.
The OMB memorandum also requires federal agencies to start collecting attestation letters from software producers for their critical software. These letters will help to ensure that the producers are following the recommended secure development practices.
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) will establish a government-wide repository of software artifacts. The organization has a year to make this happen. It will then publish updated guidance for agencies.
Identifying stakeholders
It’s no secret that supply chain security is a growing concern. Disruptions in the supply chain have attributed to several factors, including trade wars, technology and tariffs, and a global pandemic. To mitigate these risks, organisations need to have a robust cybersecurity strategy in place. It’s not enough to protect against a single attack; they need to be able to detect anomalous states at optimal times, and manage events in a dynamic and controlled manner.
Identifying key stakeholders is the first step in the cybersecurity planning process, and having a firm grasp on who you are dealing with is essential. This includes employees, suppliers, and customers. They need to be on the same page about what they can do and can’t do to avoid common cybersecurity pitfalls.
Cyber-attacks
Digital supply chain security is a major concern for most organizations. With increased connectivity, cyber threats have become more common and often targeted at organisations in the supply chain.
These attacks have carried out through a variety of methods. Many of them are design to disrupt normal business activities. Others are design to copy vital data. Some attacks use compromised software development tools to introduce vulnerabilities into the development process.
In recent months, several high-profile incidents have highlighted the vulnerabilities of supply chain cybersecurity. These include the NotPetya and SolarWinds attacks. The NotPetya attack, which targeted Ukrainian accounting software, caused $10 billion in damage. In addition, the SolarWinds attack impacted several large firms, including the US Treasury Department, the US Department of Defense, and numerous other government agencies.
Loss of customers
A slew of recent studies, some published and some not, has highlighted the importance of technology in the supply chain. While it has always been an arduous task to keep goods flowing from point A to point B, the latest technologies can help shave hours off your supply chain’s schedule. In fact, the latest supply chain solutions can even reduce manufacturing downtime. One could say that the adage about supply chains causing sales hiccups is a thing of the past. With the proper implementation of technology, you can achieve your goals while delivering a great customer experience.
To succeed, you must first understand the unique demands of your organization, then devise a strategy suited to your budget and your people. The trick is to identify your biggest vulnerabilities before they become your worst enemies.
