Written by Shrikrishna Dixit
The number of cyberattacks that exploit poor security controls around the software supply chain is increasing. Attackers are using advanced techniques to exploit vulnerabilities within the supply chain in unprecedented ways. This increase highlights the urgent need to strengthen security protocols across the software supply chain. The primary motive for cyber attackers to launch attacks of any nature is to gain access to sensitive information and exploit it to coerce organizations into financial gain or disclosure. It's on the dark web.
The most recent data breach incident that attracted attention was the boAt incident, in which the data of more than 7.5 million customers was leaked. The specific details of the breach are unknown at this time, and the root cause of the incident has not yet been determined. However, this incident highlights the importance of ensuring customer data is protected through comprehensive security controls. This includes controls in the individual organization's context as well as appropriate measures to protect the supply chain from potential risks.
With the enactment of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023, this becomes even more important. In recent years, there have been numerous instances in which cyber attackers have targeted supply chains. The most famous was the 2020 SolarWinds breach, in which hackers compromised the U.S. company's software updates, granting backdoor access to thousands of businesses and government agencies. Another incident occurred in 2023. Okta, an identity and access management company, was compromised, leading to the leak of sensitive tokens.
These were used to compromise software company Cloudflare. The most recent example, discovered in late March, was an attack on the XZ Utils backdoor. XZ Utils is an important data compression tool widely integrated into Linux distributions. Several Linux versions are affected by this vulnerability. Backdoors can lead to unauthorized system access, denial of service, and data modification or disclosure. Strategies to Defend While the rise in these attacks is unprecedented and disconcerting, there are certain strategies organizations can use to remain vigilant and proactive. It is essential to conduct a thorough risk assessment of third-party vendors and suppliers to identify potential vulnerabilities and evaluate their security posture.
You should also implement robust vendor management processes, including due diligence checks, security assessments, and contractual agreements that outline security requirements and responsibilities. Cybersecurity best practices such as regular security updates and patches, strong authentication mechanisms, and employee awareness training should be adhered to. It is necessary to regularly inculcate things that reduce the chances of a successful attack. This can be supported by providing ongoing cybersecurity awareness training to employees, contractors, and third-party vendors, educating them about the risks of supply chain attacks and how to recognize and report suspicious activity. Organizations can perform these tests in collaboration with trusted third-party security companies or in-house teams to ensure a thorough and objective assessment of their security controls and incident response capabilities.
Additionally, this process is completed by implementing secure software development practices such as secure coding standards, code reviews, and vulnerability assessments to reduce the risk of supply chain attacks due to compromised software components and libraries. Overall, a Zero Trust approach to security should: This assumes that entities should not be trusted by default, whether inside or outside your organization's network. A comprehensive business continuity and disaster recovery plan should be developed that accounts for supply chain disruptions. The Power of Collaborative Defense Collaboration with other organizations and entities is critical to effectively mitigating the risks associated with supply chain attacks like the one that affected XZ Utils.
Organizations should identify and designate individuals to actively participate in the security community. The community brings together diverse perspectives, experiences, and expertise from a variety of stakeholders, including cybersecurity professionals, researchers, vendors, and users. By sharing knowledge and insights, the community can collaboratively identify emerging threats, vulnerabilities, and best practices to reduce risks in the supply chain. A collaborative community acts as an early warning system for supply chain attacks and enables rapid detection and response to emerging threats. By sharing threat intelligence and indicators of compromise, community members can help each other identify and mitigate supply chain attacks before they cause widespread damage.
Lessons Learned Supply chain attack incidents like the one that affected XZ Utils highlight some important lessons that organizations and the cybersecurity community can learn. Organizations need to be aware of the inherent risks associated with third-party vendors, suppliers, and software dependencies in their supply chain. This incident highlights the potential for attackers to exploit vulnerabilities in trusted software components and highlights the need for increased awareness and proactive risk management strategies.
Software supply chain security is a critical component of your overall cybersecurity posture. Organizations must prioritize the security of their software components and dependencies, including rigorous vetting of third-party vendors, regular security assessments, and secure software development practices. Traditional security measures may be insufficient to effectively detect and mitigate supply chain attacks. Organizations should invest in advanced threat detection and response capabilities such as real-time monitoring, threat intelligence analysis, and incident response preparedness to quickly detect and respond to supply chain attacks.
To continually review the effectiveness of your organization's security controls, it's important to proactively detect and respond to potential breaches through penetration testing, red team assessments, and breach attack simulations. Collaboration within the cybersecurity community is essential to effectively combating supply chain attacks.Organizations need to actively participate in the industry
With input from Asif Balasinor, Associate Director, Nangia Andersen
Shrikrishna Dikshit, Partner Cyber Security, Nangia Andersen India