What is Supply Chain Attack?
Supply Chain Attack — A supply chain attack is a cyberattack that targets an organisation by compromising a trusted third-party vendor, software provider, or service in the supply chain rather than attacking the organisation directly.
Supply Chain Attack Explained in Detail
Supply chain attacks exploit the trust relationships between organisations and their suppliers. By compromising a single vendor, attackers can gain access to hundreds or even thousands of downstream targets simultaneously.
Notable Examples
- SolarWinds (2020) — Malicious code inserted into the Orion platform update, affecting 18,000+ organisations.
- Kaseya (2021) — REvil ransomware distributed through a managed service provider's software.
- 3CX (2023) — Trojanised desktop app distributed to millions of users.
Mitigations
Vendor risk assessments, software bill of materials (SBOM) analysis, code signing verification, and continuous monitoring of third-party access are essential defences.
How Hunto AI Helps with Supply Chain Attack
Explore the autonomous AI agents that address supply chain attack challenges.