Cybersecurity Awareness: Supply Chain & Emerging Technology Strategies

By Chuck Brooks, President of Brooks Consulting & Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University

As technology paves the way for groundbreaking innovations and accelerated data processing, it also arms both threat actors and cyber-defenders with potent tools.

In part three of our Cybersecurity Awareness blog series, we dive into the risky realm of supply-chain networks and how they are becoming a prime target for hackers. By exploiting vulnerabilities within suppliers, companies and contractors, these cyber adversaries infiltrate networks through compromised or counterfeit hardware and software.

Learn how the gravity of these cyber threats extends beyond the supply chain, encompassing the very fabric of emerging technologies shaping our modern world.

Supply Chains at Risk

Supply-chain networks, which frequently involve several vendors, are a preferred target for hackers. Their objectives are to exploit suppliers, companies, contractors, and weak points in the supply chain. This is frequently accomplished via infiltrating networks with compromised or fake hardware and software, taking advantage of suppliers' lax security procedures, or using insider threats. Because each person in the chain becomes their own office and any vendor they may work with is a possible cyber threat, this reality puts supply chains at risk.

Businesses must strengthen supply chain protection, validation, and authentication. Cyberattacks targeting supply chains may be carried out by nation-state foes, spies, lawbreakers, or hacktivists. Strengthening industry and government cooperation is a prudent step in the solution to addressing supply chain vulnerabilities. To be more exact, it calls for implementing a risk management procedure that finds weak points in systems, particularly older ones and provides visibility into every aspect of the supply chain.

Risk to third parties is especially concerning. Integrity is being ensured through the use of cybersecurity tools to close operational gaps and vulnerability assessments. Data Loss Prevention (DLP), encryption, log management, identity and access control systems and SIEM platforms are examples of tools.

Emerging Tech is Changing the Cybersecurity Landscape

A risk management framework is especially important as technology continues to evolve. Both threat actors and cyber-defenders can use emerging technology as tools. Innovation, training and investments in cybersecurity are entwined with emerging technology. Faster processing and ever-growing data analytics are enabling "Malthusian" scientific and technological advancements that we are living through. These developments will have a significant impact on our way of life, economics and security.

Artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, the Internet of Things (IoT), 5G, virtual and augmented reality and quantum computing are all part of the present cyber-threat and defense scenarios.

Automation potential cybersecurity path that combines artificial and machine intelligence. The automation tool chest can now utilize horizon scanning technologies, analytics, audits, incident alert tools, diagnostics and even self-repairing software. Real-time analysis and threat identification has now been made possible by it. Businesses will increasingly be able to keep an eye on what is happening within their system and identify any unusual behavior.

On the other side of the coin, criminal hackers can utilize AI to uncover weaknesses and automate phishing attempts; hence, resiliency and continuity will be compromised if AI is not deployed or exploited with consideration.

Soon, operating models and security will be significantly disrupted by AI and these other developing technologies. In the coming ten years, addressing novel and increasingly complex threats will be essential to maintaining business continuity and cyber-resilience.

How Deltek Can Help You Achieve Compliance & Security Goals

Considerations for proactive cybersecurity are numerous and varied. They cover supply chain and critical infrastructure protection, cloud computing, public-private partnerships, phishing and malware and factor the impact of developing technologies. While not a fully inclusive list, it is a pragmatic path to cyber awareness and cybersecurity. 

To combat the rising cyber threats, it will also be necessary to make ongoing investments in people, procedures and new technology, improve collaboration between the public and commercial sectors, and most importantly, implement proactive, integrated risk management strategies.

Keeping up with evolving compliance requirements and security threats takes time and resources that may not be available to all organizations. That’s why Deltek has invested significantly in its information security initiatives over the last several years. Leveraging deep government contracting industry expertise, Deltek has built a first-rate security program to help support its customers in meeting their compliance requirements.

To learn more about how to achieve compliance and security with Deltek, visit the Security & Trust Center ─ and don't forget to check out  Part 1 and Part 2 of this blog series on Deltek Project Nation.