The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has given the Apache Log4j vulnerability its highest threat score. The exploit has exposed hundreds of millions of devices worldwide to a security breach.
While cybersecurity leaders work with the Apache Foundation to close this vulnerability, members of the global economy must understand how this potentially affects their supply chain. Interos data reveal that this vulnerability alone could impact more than 135,000 suppliers in our customers supply chains, and cause ripple effects across industries and geographies.
The Log4j vulnerability certainly stands out for its pervasiveness and potential to disrupt the economy.
Large cyberattacks, system vulnerabilities and network outages have become a standard part of life in today’s super-connected world. That’s not to minimize their impact but to underscore the persistent threat to businesses. A cyberattack that takes even a single supplier offline can cause delays throughout your entire supply chain and in verticals with high concentration risk.
All businesses need to understand their cyber risks and the cyber risk of suppliers they rely on to create and deliver their final product. At Interos, our goal is to help our customers know all of those risks to make educated decisions to ensure the resilience of their supply chains.
A Different Approach to Understanding Cyber Risk
Interos provides its customers with a global map of suppliers and supply chain risks, including consideration of cybersecurity vulnerabilities. Along with understanding the cyber pressure put on suppliers based on their industry and location, we also assess their financial strength.
A company with a poor cyber or financial history may not respond adequately to this breach. For example, the patches and upgrades the cybersecurity community has created to block this vulnerability provide little value if a company fails to institute them. Some companies may lack the cyber know-how or the financial resources to accomplish these demands, putting them at increased risk for disruption.
Interos provides real-time information on the cybersecurity resilience of suppliers. It is just one of many metrics our artificial intelligence platform leverages to provide customers with a 360-degree view of their supply chain.
With this information, businesses can better understand the risks their suppliers face. Based on the risk profile, these companies can switch suppliers, request suppliers better mitigate these risks, or accept the inherent risk. This type of visibility through various metrics allows businesses to build a resilient supply chain made up of suppliers with acceptable risk profiles.
Companies can also use our platform to model disruptive events to find potential weak spots in their supply chain. This all leads to creating an operationally resilient supply chain that can better manage crises.
Log4j Illustrates the Need for an Operational Resilience Strategy
The Log4j vulnerability exposes a considerable part of the global economy to cyber attack. While it may be impossible to see this type of breach coming, suppliers should have the ability to withstand the attack, make the necessary upgrades, and continue operations.
Our customers can use Interos’ cloud offering to see what members of their supply chain are impacted. They can understand what supply chain members are best equipped to manage the situation and those that cannot. This can guide future supply chain decisions and supplier relationships, reinforcing or removing the companies that lack the necessary capacity.
The Log4j vulnerability will pass, but another type of cyber disruption can strike at any point. Interos wants to change how you see your supply chain. We want you to understand better the companies you depend on for your success.
A study we conducted last year found that large businesses lose $184 million annually in supply chain disruptions. This is wasted money. Know the risks your suppliers face and take action to protect your company’s bottom line and its reputation.
