Supply chain attacks have become more popular with threat actors over the past few years. Rather than breaking into one company, a supply chain attack can provide access to many more organisations. For the same amount of effort, threat actors can increase their potential pay-out from those affected. However, supply chain attacks are still seen as hard to manage. According to the latest UK Government cyber research around data breaches, only 14 percent of companies specifically review their direct suppliers for potential security impact, and only seven percent look at their wider supply chain.
Why do attacks succeed?
Threat actors increasingly target weaker links in the supply chain, including MSPs and third parties, to gain trusted access into larger enterprises. These attacks succeed because responsibility for monitoring and response is fragmented.
This can be because the MSP does not track its own IT infrastructure as much as it does customer networks. Patching and updates can fall behind when there is pressure to deliver what clients want. Equally, they may not have the level of security in their own environment that they expect to see in their customers.
That initial access can then lead to lateral movement and privilege escalation. These steps are what allow threat actors to get access to customer environments, either through direct access to their networks or by inserting vulnerabilities into software.
Where the 'shared responsibility model' breaks down
For companies working with partners, understanding what you are responsible for and what the partner delivers should be established right from the start. Wherever you draw the line, the important element is who is responsible for the security around that layer.
However, while responsibilities may be defined contractually, in practice, there is often no clear owner of detection, investigation, and response across the supply chain. Does your service provider have its own detection and response approach in place, and will they inform you if there is a problem? What happens if this kind of issue takes place outside business hours?
The National Cyber Security Centre encourages companies to understand their suppliers and their approach to security as part of any procurement process. However, while you might have contracts signed and a shared responsibility model outlined in theory, it's only when something goes wrong that you can determine how good your suppliers really are around security. Planning ahead around detection and response is essential.
True accountability requires continuous visibility and response
In these circumstances, accountability and communication are both key to success. Is your supply chain partner really able to supply the information that you need when you need it for your own risk decisions?
To reduce risk, organisations need 24/7 visibility across their environment and third-party access points, with the ability to rapidly detect and contain threats as they emerge. This means getting visibility into two categories of supplier — companies you use for services, and software providers whose tools you consume.
For the technology side, using threat intelligence around your key suppliers can help. If you rely on a specific security supplier or networking router company, you should get real-time insight into their security over time. If they have an exploit or potential vulnerability, you can manage your own risk accordingly and lock down those devices. This also counts for software components that you build into your own digital services, where you can patch your systems as fast as required.
On the company side, a delay in their work could affect your own organisation's ability to function. For example, a ransomware attack on a software provider in London did not directly lead to software problems at NHS Trusts in the capital, but the outage led to supplies of blood running low and cancelled operations. Understanding those issues in the real world supply chain alongside your software supply chain enables you to build better resilience to potential market shocks over time.
The UK Government's Cyber Security and Resilience Bill will mean that more companies across the technology sector have to harden their operations. These requirements should improve the wider economy, reduce potential risk, and focus attention on who is responsible for what elements in your infrastructure.
To learn how eSentire can help you find exposures and defend your organization, connect with an eSentire Security Specialist now.
GET STARTEDABOUT THE AUTHOR
Phil Skelton Senior Director, International Sales
Phil Skelton is a seasoned sales leader with over 12 years of experience in the cybersecurity industry working for eSentire, NCC Group and Fujitsu. He has a deep understanding of the latest cyber threats and cybersecurity solutions, and a proven track record of providing cybersecurity services to organizations of all sizes across EMEA.
He has been responsible for leading a team of sales and pre-sales representatives in the EMEA region becoming a trusted advisor to his clients, and is passionate about helping them to protect their businesses.