Supply Chain Attack

Understanding a Supply Chain Attack

A supply chain attack is a type of cyber attack that takes advantage of vulnerabilities in the supply chain. One notable example of this is the Solar Winds attack, which occurred in the United States in 2020. It is widely believed that Russian hackers compromised a software provider that was extensively used by Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, and other organizations. By targeting Solar Winds, the hackers were able to indirectly attack all of these entities.

In the Solar Winds attack, the hackers used a trojan horse update to gain unauthorized access to sensitive and potentially classified information held by branches of the military, the state department, and the pentagon. The full extent of the breach is still unknown, and experts estimate that it will take more than a year to fully recover and eliminate any remaining surveillance threats.

The Solar Winds incident is a clear example of the devastating impact that a supply chain attack can have. As modern operations rely heavily on software and services from third-party suppliers, such as cybersecurity firms, it becomes increasingly difficult to ensure system security. Supply chain attacks go beyond traditional cybercrime and enter the realm of cyber warfare. In the future, these attacks could be used for purposes such as extortion, surveillance, and gaining control over sensitive networks.