Cybersecurity and third-party vendor access

“Cybercrime is a boundless threat”, according to a recent PriceWaterhouseCoopers study. As digital technologies continue to soar, cybercrime continues to climb. The study states that in 2016, 32% of organizations were affected by some kind of cyber-attack, yet only 37% of organizations feel they are prepared for cyber risks. With so many connections and touchpoints in today’s business world – from third-parties, service providers, partners, or government authorities – there’s an ever-increasing opportunity for compromise. There’s a risk of a security breach at any of these endpoints. A key highlight of the study PWC study showed there’s a trend of hackers being able to remain on an organization’s network for periods of time – without even being detected. Does this make you think about what measures you currently have in place to provide visibility of who is on your network, and what they are doing? The recent Amazon breach, where hackers gained access to third-party vendors and stole credentials, shows a clear need for stronger third-party cybersecurity measures. What can you do to protect your company from the reputational damage, as well as the legal ramifications, often associated with these kinds of breaches? With this sharp rise in cybercrime, let’s dive into some ways you can reduce security risks and keep your network access secure:

• Standardize remote support Third-party data breaches are a growing concern that can impact you, no matter your industry – and it can be difficult to defend against. To ensure your company’s assets are secure against cyber-attacks that target your suppliers or partners, one step you can take is to standardize your remote support access into one platform. This can protect you from third-party data loss or exposure.
• Control vendor remote access Enterprises can have many suppliers and partner networks to try and manage. These are often easy targets for attackers. You’ll have to tackle IT security up and down all chains. Any entity you do business with could leave you vulnerable. By taking control of your vendors’ remote access you’ll be able to close the gaps in your protection.
•  Track all activity You need to be able to see the “who, what, where, when and why” of data access – and be able to pull logs and videos of individual movements.