You can lock down your own systems perfectly and still be breached through a supplier. Software vendors, IT providers, bookkeepers, cloud platforms: any third party you connect to or share data with can become the way an attacker gets in. Some of the largest breaches in recent years began not with the victim, but with one of their suppliers. For Australian businesses, managing this “supply chain” risk is now an essential part of staying secure.
Why suppliers are a target
Attackers know that breaking into one widely used supplier can give them a path into hundreds of that supplier’s customers. It’s an efficient strategy: compromise a trusted piece of software or a managed service provider, and the access flows downstream. Because the connection is trusted, these attacks can be harder to spot than a direct assault on your own network.
How to manage the risk
- Know your suppliers. Make a list of every third party that stores your data or connects to your systems. You can’t manage a risk you haven’t mapped.
- Ask about their security. For important suppliers, ask how they protect your data: MFA, backups, certifications, and how they’d notify you of a breach.
- Grant least privilege. Give suppliers only the access they genuinely need, and remove it promptly when the relationship ends.
- Put it in writing. Include security expectations and breach-notification requirements in your contracts.
- Plan for their failure. Consider how you’d keep operating if a key supplier were taken offline by an attack.
Focus your effort where it counts
You don’t need to audit every supplier to the same depth. Concentrate on the ones that hold sensitive data or have deep access to your systems. Your accounting platform, IT provider and core business software matter far more than the company that services the coffee machine. A little scrutiny of the right partners goes a long way.
Want a clearer view of your overall exposure, including the risks that come through others? Take our free cyber security assessment for a practical picture of where your business stands.