New-Tech Europe Magazine | Q2 2021

Important Stats The risks to the supply chain have been growing in no small part to the increase in remote work and lack of effective cyber protection linked to the Covid-19 pandemic. From January – May 2020 alone there was a: 34% increase in the total number of early warnings of supply chain disruption, compared to the same period in 2019.” Disasters at partner sites increased by 151% Disasters at location increased by 100% Instability in key employee positions increased by 46% Weapons to Mitigate Cyber: Best Practices According to the National Institute of Standards and Technology the ability to implement industry best practices directly correlates with a business’s success in mitigating cyber risk across the diverse players in the supply chain. Of the many suggestions the NIST offered, the following quintessentially reflect the core intention of what is needed to decrease cyber risk in the supply chain. security requirements in every contract or RFT with potential partners. Outlining the definitive cybersecurity obligations of each link in the supply chain from square one ensures all partners accept responsibility for their security posture. 2) Implement as much automation as possible to decrease the risk of human error. According to Cybint, 95% of 1) Include clear

Key steps moving forward.

cybersecurity breaches are caused by human error. As a result of this striking stat, it is mission-critical to implement as much automation throughout the supply chain to better compartmentalize risk and determine if a technical solution is required. 3) Actively track all the component parts and vendors of projects By keeping close tabs on all the vendors and subcontractors connected with vital projects IT teams and systems admins can quickly respond to potential breaches, segmenting risk and ensuring rigorous controls on access to vendors are maintained. 4) Establish a ‘one strike and you’re out policy in respect to failing to fulfill contractual security obligations. Supporting repeat offenders and leaving your assets at risk is not a viable solutionwhenwe are speaking about the scale and potential costs for enterprise customers. By clearly defining what is at stake for non-compliance all players in the supply chain are held to the highest standards and network security improves exponentially.

The ability to enhance supply chain cybersecurity comes down to a combination of accurately understanding the risks being faced by the various players in the supply chain and establishing the protocols, either technical, contractual, or education-based to mitigate cyber threats. In practice, the only way to slow the pace of data breaches and harden secure systems against the risks of state-sponsored hackers and ad hoc cybercriminals is to establish and consistently adapt a comprehensive cybersecurity policy from the top down. By having a clear vision of expectations, establishing long- term protocols to support cyber awareness, and implementing technical solutions to mitigate risk, the supply chain has the chance to decrease its attack surface and provide a unified front against cyber-attacks.

Dr. Oren Eytan, Co-founder and CEO of the Israeli cyber company odix

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