In the News
Flaws in the supply chain process threaten security. In Most Firms Rely on Trust Alone for Supply Chain Security, Phil Muncaster at InfoSecurity Magazine discusses an Accenture report that found over 70% of firms are at risk for security attacks within supply chain processes due to a lack of communication regarding processes and procedures. Muncaster explains that only 35% of US firms have further knowledge about supply chain information and that this 35% is considered a high number in national comparisons. Muncaster states that supply chain will be an increased target for cyber-crime in the coming years.
Our Take
Consumers often do not think about the many steps and processes required for a product or service to be available to the public. All of the little steps involved in the supply chain industry revolve around constant communication and are dependent upon the success of each other. A lack of security knowledge regarding these processes is troublesome because skipping out of the necessary security measures is, unfortunately, a common occurrence. A company may follow strict security procedures internally, but if they receive software or products from an insecure source, they are not producing a completely secure result. On the consumer end, this is confusing. How can we be sure that the products we buy and software we use are secure if the companies behind them don’t even know if they are? With this new Accenture report, consumer research on product security and proactively increasing your privacy measures is more important than ever.
Recommendations
How can you protect the privacy of your personal information in an age of uncertain?
- Understand the risks of putting your personal information into the world, and only share what you have to
- Use safe password practices, and take advantage of Multi-factor Authentication where possible
- Minimize the number of accounts that have direct access to your bank account or card numbers
- Only purchase and download legitimate and verifiable apps and products
- Utilize additional security/privacy measures and settings on apps, accounts, and platforms whenever possible
- Check your email, financial accounts, and credit reports regularly for abnormal activities
- Stay up to date on recent data breaches and exposures to see if you have been impacted