Supply chain attacks have become a defining cybersecurity risk. Nearly every major breach today shares a common factor: attackers exploiting vulnerabilities outside a company’s direct control. Whether through a compromised vendor, a flaw in an open-source component, or malicious code inserted into a trusted update, attackers have found the easiest way to breach an organisation is through its supply chain.
A report revealed that 59% of breaches among top insurance companies involved third-party attack vectors, more than double the global average. This highlights the systemic risks posed by cyber threats to industries handling sensitive data.
Despite this growing risk, many organisations remain unprepared, relying on outdated vendor risk assessments and treating supply chain security as a compliance exercise rather than an active security function. This creates blind spots that attackers eagerly exploit.
Why are supply chain attacks increasing?
Modern enterprises rely on third-party vendors, cloud providers, and software dependencies, expanding the attack surface beyond what they can fully control. Cybercriminals now target software suppliers instead of individual companies, allowing them to infiltrate multiple organisations at once.
Beyond efficiency, supply chain attacks offer stealth. Unlike traditional breaches, where attackers must evade detection within a network, a compromised vendor or software component bypasses traditional defences. By the time a breach is discovered, significant damage has often already occurred.
How organisations can strengthen their defences
To defend against supply chain threats, organisations need a proactive, intelligence-driven strategy rather than relying on static assessments.
- Identify and categorise vendors by risk: Security teams must determine which vendors have critical access to sensitive systems and data. Fourth-party risks—vendors of vendors—should also be assessed.
- Implement continuous monitoring: Vendor security postures must be tracked in real-time to identify vulnerabilities, security incidents, and potential threats before they escalate.
- Integrate vendors into incident response plans: Clear response roles, breach notification requirements, and contractual obligations should be established to ensure swift, coordinated action during an attack.
Moving beyond reactive defence
In 2025, the most secure organisations will proactively anticipate threats rather than simply react to them.
A key shift is predictive threat intelligence. Instead of waiting for attacks to unfold, organisations must analyse vulnerabilities, attack trends, concentration risk, and behavioural patterns within their supply chain. If a key vendor experiences a rise in vulnerabilities or a security incident, it should be treated as an early warning signal.
Another crucial step is bridging third-party risk management (TPRM) with Security Operations Centre (SOC) functions. Historically, these teams worked in silos—TPRM focused on vendor compliance, while SOC hunted threats within an organisation’s environment.
As supply chain attacks rise, these functions must merge. Vendors should be treated as extensions of an organisation's security perimeter, with active threat intelligence applied to vendor monitoring.
This aligns with Supply Chain Detection and Response (SCDR), an approach that actively detects, investigates, and mitigates supply chain threats in real-time. SCDR continuously validates security controls, identifies early indicators of compromise, and triggers automated responses when risks surpass critical thresholds.
When to outsource supply chain security
Managing supply chain security in-house is becoming increasingly challenging. The sheer volume of third-party relationships and the complexity of tracking threats across vendors can overwhelm even well-resourced teams.
Outsourcing to a trusted cybersecurity partner can provide:
- Expertise in supply chain risk intelligence.
- Continuous monitoring without straining internal resources.
- Incident response coordination to ensure vendors take immediate action when compromised.
Final thoughts: The time to act is now
Traditional security strategies are no longer sufficient against modern supply chain threats. Organisations relying on static assessments, vendor self-reports, and reactive security measures remain vulnerable.
Security leaders must adopt real-time threat intelligence, predictive analytics, and proactive vendor monitoring. Bridging TPRM with SOC functions, implementing SCDR, and outsourcing where necessary will be key to building a resilient, future-proof defence.
A supply chain attack isn’t a question of if—it’s a matter of when. The time to prepare is now.