Here at ASCM, we’ve been advocating for and supporting the digital transformation of our field for decades. The good news is that every year, more and more organizations prioritize this objective. In fact, the theme of ASCM’s Top 10 Supply Chain Trends in 2023 is “supply chain goes digital” — a reference to the keen focus on digital networks by industry professionals across the globe. However, there’s some bad news, too: This inherent interconnectedness also leads to vulnerability in the form of cyberattacks. And when hardware, software and managed services are exploited, all stakeholders face exposure, disrupting operations and breaking trust.
To help address these challenges, President Biden has just appointed a supply chain risk cyber chief to lead a new office in the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), part of the U.S. Federal Government’s Department of Homeland Security. Shon Lyublanovits’s task is to “act on the raft of new cybersecurity regulations, guidance and policies.” This follows the 2018 release of the National Cyber Strategy (NCS). “A critical component of the NCS is the integration of supply chain risk management into the procurement and use of IT to ensure the government deploys safe, reliable and resilient technology,” Supply Chain Digital reports.
Lyublanovits acknowledged that a lack of cybersecurity is a universal problem: “We want to make sure that we’re collectively looking at all of this because it isn’t a government problem [and] it isn’t an industry problem; it is a nation problem,” she told the Federal News Network. Lyublanovits also noted two issues that plague organizations most: The first is simply how to begin; the second is how to have effective conversations with decision-makers. “If you don’t have leadership buy-in, you can’t get funding and you can’t go hire people to help you do what you want to do,” she said.
Building defenses
ASCM is here to help you move past these blockers. To begin establishing robust cybersecurity at your organization, there are strategies that you can adopt immediately, as author Mike Pedrick explains in an ASCM Insights Blog. These include identifying your threat landscape, creating a list of potential adverse events and documenting what you need to protect. Pedrick explains: “An effective cybersecurity program provides the systematic processes to identify, assess and respond to cyber risks quickly and cost-effectively. It helps establish clear communications and situational awareness about cyber threats at all levels across the organizational hierarchy. It also creates a foundation for well-informed risk management decisions aligned to the organization's business objectives.”
Plus, in an upcoming ASCM webinar, Keith Turpin, chief information security officer at the Friedkin Group, will discuss how to identify the cybersecurity risks your resilient supply chain must manage. Register now to explore these key challenges, discover proven methods for effective continuity planning and avoid a digital shutdown.
As for Lyublanovits’s second challenge, communicating to leaders begins with understanding the risks brought on by a cybersecurity attack and preparation using the right data, policies and procedures. Expect to hear more from ASCM about these important topics throughout 2023 so you can arm yourself with this essential knowledge. The right information and training gives any supply chain professional the ability to create safe and reliable networks.
