In a recently conducted survey by Sophos, it was revealed that 27 percent of Indian IT managers identify IoT as a major threat, while 21 percent consider internal staff as the top security risk. But what’s particularly worrisome is the fact that only 24 percent of Indian IT managers consider supply chain as the topmost security risk.
A quick look at the recent happenings in the cybersecurity space will show a rising trend of targeted attacks on the supply chain in an organization. Cyber-thugs are incessantly looking for entry points into organizations, kicking the tire to check for weakest links. And supply chain has proven to be the easiest way in.
So what could be a reason for IT managers to downplay supply chain vulnerability? Sunil Sharma, MD – Sales at Sophos India & SAARC explains that it’s primarily because IT managers consider attacks perpetrated by nation states aimed at high profile targets only.
Key stats from Sophos’ survey
• 24 percent of Indian IT managers consider supply chain as a top security risk
• 27 percent Indian IT managers consider IoT threats as a top security risk
• 21 percent consider internal staff as one of the weak spots that cybercriminals can exploit
They’re not wrong though, nation states had created the blueprints for these attacks. The problem is that once these techniques were made known, cybercriminals started employing these techniques for their sheer ingenuity and success rate. “Supply chain attacks are also an effective way for cybercriminals to carry out automated, active attacks,” he explains.
So how do we beat them? Sharma believes the key to getting this right is by sensitizing third-party vendors on adopting cybersecurity best practices to keep themselves and their customers protected from cyberattacks.
