In the past, there are many security attacks have been observed, like the Kaseya ransomware attack that has impacted globally. It was not the end of such attacks, and technological development increased the benefits and the threats. So, there must be some vigilant measures to cure such attacks and prevent them.
Software supply chain security attacks are not new to the industry. In the past years, plenty of such attacks has affected millions of users globally. The risk of being hacked or invaded is still active and a considerable threat for companies. The fundamental question is what to do if the digital supply chain encounters an attack.
No worries!
There are many ways to deal with such conditions with the continuous advancement in technology and knowledge. Hereunder are some effective strategies, and let’s look at them.
Identify the external components
Run a software composition analysis to identify all the elements of the system, such as external vendors or programs associated with infrastructure—the greater the number of these elements, the more significant the risk. If you identify such elements, you are in a more suitable position to deal with such attacks.
Pay attention at the start
It is a fact that companies and businesses perform based on mutual trust, and however, it doesn’t refer to that vendors or software provider takes care to keep you and themselves safe from security threats. So, according to NIST, it looks pretty cool to start with safety measures and check the following at the time of start.
- Documentation of hardware/ software design along with its scalability and repeatability.
- Extenuation of security risks in product prototypes such as architecture, code review, and run-time safety techniques.
- Vendors’ capabilities to tackle present vulnerabilities and also potential future ones
- The controls that are implemented to manage and monitor
Include a third-party hardware and software inventory
If you have heard about a supply chain attack, start reviewing inventory regularly and vigilantly. Don’t trust any obsolete inventory as it can’t show an accurate picture, and you may get misled.
Divide the network into segments
Network segmentation is highly beneficial to enhancing cyber security, and it lessens the potential damage by crafting numerous safe segments or subnets. It is not as simple as it seems, especially when critical functional procedures are mutually dependent. But implementing the segmentation and decrease in co-dependencies can potentially augment cyber security.
Use Good cyber practices
Good cyber practices include restricted access to accounts using access policies such as user account control and management privileges. Encryption and multifactor authentication are also helpful techniques.
Design a response plan
It would be best if you always were prepared to respond to such attacks and save your data and system. To meet this need of time, you must have an effective plan and way out so that when any component from some third party becomes affected, you can quickly step back and leave the situation safely.
Bottom line
The market is quite familiar with digital supply chain attacks that can affect globally. The best strategy to cope with them is to be vigilant while starting a business in any collaboration. Another suitable strategy has parallel and effective responsive plans to help you escape the situation. There could be more options that any business can adapt according to the problem.
