By Mike Kreider, Chief Information Officer North America, DHL Supply Chain
Key takeaways:
- Integrate cybersecurity into business continuity planning: Treat cyber threats like other operational disruptions, ensuring recovery plans and incident responses include strategies for restoring critical cold storage systems and IT infrastructure.
- Build anticipation and resilience: Adopt proactive security measures such as continuous risk assessments, zero trust architecture, and strong digital backups to maintain operations and minimize damage during cyber incidents.
- Secure IoT and third-party vulnerabilities: Protect connected devices with encryption, segmentation, and rapid isolation protocols, while rigorously vetting and monitoring supply chain partners’ cybersecurity standards and certifications.
Cyberattacks have become an unfortunate part of doing business in today’s digital age. While nearly every aspect of corporate America faces some level of risk from cyberattacks, supply chains are uniquely exposed because of their complexity, interconnectivity, and reliance on third parties. Modern supply chains are vast, interconnected webs of third-party vendors, software dependencies, cloud services, and physical logistics partners. Each link in that chain represents a potential vulnerability, and it only takes one weak point for an attacker to gain access.
Food manufacturers, especially those that rely heavily on cold storage environments, are becoming increasingly vulnerable to cybersecurity threats within their supply chains. The rise of digitization, automation, and interconnected logistics has brought tremendous efficiencies to the industry, but it has also created a larger attack surface for cybercriminals.
While cold storage facilities face similar cybersecurity threats as other warehouses and distribution centers, their risks to and impact from cyberattacks can be amplified. The food products handled by these facilities often have shorter inventory lifespans than shelf-stable foods with specific handling and temperature requirements. Cyberattacks causing shipping delays can result in product expiration, while loss of facility power or refrigeration can result in large-scale spoilage or quality issues. If there’s an interruption of power, the cereal will be fine; the milk will not.
To maintain strict temperature requirements, these operations are dependent on internet-connected sensors, data loggers and systems that provide real-time monitoring and control. Every one of these connections present a potential entry point for attackers. And the threat is not just that these technologies can be disabled. Valuable product data can be lost, compromised or manipulated. And just as AI and automation are helping supply chains be more efficient, cybercriminals are using these capabilities in attacks, which are increasingly hard to detect and manage.
The harsh reality is that no organization can ever achieve 100% protection. However, there are measures food manufacturers with cold storage environments can take to reduce their risk and minimize the impact if an attack does occur. The following are four important steps in addition to the most common cybersecurity best practices like training employees on secure practices.
1. Elevate cybersecurity to business continuity planning
Food manufacturers should think about cyberattacks the same way they think about natural disasters that can disrupt the supply chain. Viewing cyber threats through this lens helps leaders put them in the category of business continuity planning, not just IT issues. As part of disaster recovery efforts, many companies already invest in backup generators, fire suppression systems, and contingency transportation plans. The same attention should apply to cyber resilience.
There are two key parts to this approach. The first is including cybersecurity as part of any robust supply chain risk management (SCRM) program. These programs include procedures for monitoring, managing and reviewing systems, processes, and access throughout the supply chain for vulnerabilities. This will help proactively identify, assess, and mitigate any potential cybersecurity threats. It will also help with the development of warning systems and creation of strategies to mitigate risks and negative impacts.
The second part of this approach is to include cyberattacks as part of any disaster recovery plan (DRP), which focuses on long-term recovery from a disruption. This will ensure there is a framework and roadmap for recovering from a cybersecurity event, including restoring critical IT systems and equipment that supports cold storage. An incident response plan, which focuses on short-term recovery from a disruption, will detail roles, outline immediate required actions, escalation procedures as well as recovery timelines and goals. Regularly testing the plan helps to ensure effectiveness and prepares key personnel for a potential attack.
2. Prioritize anticipation and resilience
Anticipation in cybersecurity means looking beyond immediate threats and understanding the evolving landscape of risks. It is about moving from a reactive to a proactive mindset and evolving security measures with emerging threats. This includes conducting continuous risk assessments, implementing advanced threat intelligence, and moving to a zero trust architecture where every user, device, and connection is verified.
However, even with the best anticipation, some cyber incidents are inevitable. This is where resilience becomes crucial to help maintain operations, minimize damage, and recover more quickly after an attack. Companies can increase cyber resilience by implementing a strong digital backbone. This includes cloud-based and offsite backups, coupled with redundant network pathways to ensure continuity in case of system failures or attacks. It also includes regular stress testing to help expose vulnerabilities and improve response strategies.
There are also a number of AI and machine learning tools available to help with threat monitoring and reliance. For example, continuous monitoring and real-time analytics enable security information and event management (SIEM) systems to aggregate and scrutinize activity from various resources across the IT infrastructure and analyze hardware and application security alerts. In addition, an intrusion detection and prevention system (IDPS) can monitor networks and systems for malicious activity or policy violation, taking action in real time to prevent intrusion.
3. Secure connected devices and systems
The use of Internet of Things (IoT) devices in cold storage facilities has transformed the way perishable food products are monitored and preserved. Internet-connected temperature sensors, humidity monitors, and automated refrigeration systems enable real-time data collection, monitoring and control. However, many of these technologies and automation systems rely on default credentials, lack regular software updates, or use unencrypted communications, which makes them attractive targets for hackers. Once compromised, attackers could manipulate environmental controls, disrupt operations, or even use the devices as a foothold to access broader corporate networks.
Companies can minimize this vulnerability by ensuring devices support encrypted authenticated updates to prevent tampering. Sensors should encrypt data both in transit (TLS/SSL) and at rest to block eavesdropping. Isolate IoT devices and systems from corporate IT networks using VLANs or dedicated firewalls to limit the damage if a device or system is compromised. Ensure that a compromised device or system does not immediately disrupt cold storage operation (e.g., backup manual monitoring). Deploy multiple sensors per zone, so tampered or failed devices can be cross-validated against others. Develop a clear process to quickly isolate and replace compromised IoT devices and systems.
4. Scrutinize and verify supply chain partners
Often the weakest link in a company’s supply chain comes from a compromised partner, such as a third-party logistics (3PL) provider. These partners require some degree of access to a company’s systems. If their security practices are weak, attackers can use unidentified vulnerabilities or unpatched or outdated systems as entry points.
Establish formal processes to vet, assess, and continuously monitor suppliers’ cybersecurity practices. This includes requiring security certifications (e.g., ISO 27001, SOC 2), conducting audits, and setting clear expectations in contracts. Confirm their adherence to IoT security standards, such as NIST and ISO/IEC 27400. Ask about their BitSight Security Rating, which provides a data-driven lens to view the health of an organization’s cybersecurity program.
When it comes to a 3PL, ask about the investment and commitment they have made to create a robust cybersecurity strategy and cybersecurity defenses. They should also understand how to manage a multi-temp facility, understanding where the vulnerabilities and weak access points may be.
Mike Kreider is the Chief Information Officer (CIO) of DHL Supply Chain in North America, where he is responsible for driving the growth of DHL’s market-leading accelerated digitalization agenda and overseeing the implementation of innovative technologies. Prior to this role, Mike served as CIO for Global Service Logistics, eCommerce, and Warehousing Domain for three years, where he played a pivotal role in enhancing operational efficiencies and advancing digital initiatives.
Credit: Source link
