In recent years, there's been an exponential growth in the number of cyber threats faced by businesses and organizations. One such threat that has shown unprecedented growth in frequency and sophistication is 'supply chain attacks'. This blog sheds light on what these attacks are, how they work and their implications on cybersecurity, and provides possible measures against them.

Introduction to Supply Chain Attacks

A supply chain attack—also known as a third-party attack or a value-chain attack—occurs when an attacker infiltrates your system through an outside partner or provider with access to your systems and data. They offer a path of least resistance to your valuable networks and are often an attractive target for cybercriminals who want to exploit the trust relationships between businesses and their third-party suppliers.

Understanding the Mechanism of Supply Chain Attacks

In a supply chain attack, a threat actor compromises a vulnerable point in your supply chain to gain access to your network. This could be a vendor, a supplier, a contractor, or even a software vendor. Their objective is not to attack their immediate victim, but to use it as a springboard to attack more valuable targets further up the supply chain.

The subtlety and complexity of these attacks make them particularly threatening. Attacker may install a malicious software update on a trusted tool, compromising not only the tool but every network connected to it. This level of infiltration is unprecedented and makes detection and mitigation exceedingly complex.

The Rising Threat of Supply Chain Attacks in Cybersecurity

The increase in supply chain attacks can be attributed to several factors. One major factor is the increasing reliance on third-party vendors for business-critical applications. Each additional vendor increases the potential attack surface for cybercriminals. Furthermore, the lack of visibility and control over these third-party vendors' security practices compounds this issue.

Secondly, global digital transformation has accelerated, with more businesses adopting cloud infrastructure, thereby increasing potential vulnerabilities. Finally, cybercriminals are becoming more sophisticated, adopting advanced techniques to carry out these attacks, often undetected.

Impressive Examples of Supply Chain Attacks

One of the most well-known examples of a supply chain attack is the SolarWinds attack of 2020. In this attack, threat actors compromised the dynamic linked library (DLL) of SolarWinds Orion, an IT monitoring and management software. This allowed them to infiltrate and spy on the networks of about 18,000 SolarWinds customers, including high-profile targets like government agencies.

This attack paints a dire picture of the potential devastation of supply chain attacks. It also emphasises the need to urgently address this cybersecurity threat.

Prevention Measures Against Supply Chain Attacks

While completely eliminating the risk of supply chain attacks is impossible, there are measures to help reduce their likelihood and mitigate potential damage. Firstly, ensure that all software is up-to-date, and all patches have been applied. A regular auditing process can help identify and address weak spots in your network.

There should also be a robust Incident response plan in place to ensure quick and effective action in the event of a breach. Furthermore, regular Penetration testing and Vulnerability assessments can identify potential weak spots in your security infrastructure.

Lastly, logic control measures such as the principle of least privilege (PoLP) can be adopted. Under PoLP, access rights for users are limited to bare minimums they require to complete their work duties, thus limiting potential entry points for cyber attackers.

In Conclusion

In conclusion, supply chain attacks mark a new wave of sophisticated, hard-to-detect cybersecurity threats. Their rise underscores the need to revisit and bolster existing security policies, particularly around third-party vendors and software. By understanding the nature of these threats and implementing robust security measures, businesses can significantly lower their risk of supply chain attacks and protect their valuable data and networks.