Supply Chain Attacks in 2022: A Year in Review
Cyber attacks are not just for movies anymore.
Supply chain attacks are a type of cyberattack that targets an organization's supply chain in order to gain access to the organization's systems or data. Supply chain attacks can be carried out through a variety of methods, such as compromising a supplier's software, injecting malicious code into a supplier's product, or tricking an organization into downloading a malicious software update.
Supply chain attacks are becoming increasingly common and sophisticated. In 2022, there were a number of high-profile supply chain attacks, including:
Log4Shell: In December 2021, a critical vulnerability was discovered in the popular logging library Log4j. This vulnerability allowed attackers to execute arbitrary code on vulnerable systems. The Log4Shell vulnerability was exploited in a number of supply chain attacks, including attacks on the software development company Codecov and the IT management company Kaseya.
PyTorch: In December 2022, the open-source machine learning framework PyTorch was compromised in a supply chain attack. Attackers injected malicious code into the nightly builds of PyTorch. This malicious code was designed to upload sensitive information from the victim's machine to a remote server.
3CX: In March 2023, the VoIP PBX provider 3CX was compromised in a supply chain attack. Attackers compromised 3CX's update server and injected malicious code into the updates for 3CX's Phone System and Management Console. This malicious code gave attackers remote access to the victim's systems.
The rise of supply chain attacks is a major concern for organizations of all sizes. Supply chain attacks can be difficult to detect and prevent, and they can have a significant impact on an organization's business.
How to protect yourself from supply chain attacks
There are a number of things that organizations can do to protect themselves from supply chain attacks, including:
Implement a risk management framework: Organizations should implement a risk management framework to identify and assess the risks posed by their supply chain. This framework should include processes for monitoring the supply chain for vulnerabilities and threats, and for mitigating identified risks.
Use a secure software development lifecycle (SDLC): Organizations should use a secure SDLC to develop and deploy software. This includes conducting security reviews of code and using secure coding practices.
Implement security controls: Organizations should implement security controls to protect their systems and data from unauthorized access. This includes using firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and access control lists.
Monitor your systems: Organizations should monitor their systems for suspicious activity. This includes monitoring logs, network traffic, and system performance.
By taking these steps, organizations can reduce their risk of being affected by a supply chain attack.