Ian Cairns, our Sales Director, recently discussed with Supply Chain Strategy about why a resilient network is essential for supply chains to mitigate the risks of disruption.

When a faulty software update led to a global IT outage on the 19th July, it acted as a light on our world-wide dependence on digital applications. Affecting 8.5 million computers worldwide, according to the BBC, the CrowdStrike update saw significant disruption to day-to-day operations, in particular across banks, travel providers and healthcare practices worldwide.

In today’s world, having reliable access to online systems and data is critical for the successful day-to-day running of most businesses. Taking learnings from this most recent incident is key, to reduce the likelihood of future disruptions on a much larger scale.

Supply chain vulnerability

Businesses across the supply chain are embracing new, innovative technologies every day. From robotics and AI to cloud storage systems, this digital transformation is providing new opportunities for growth and transformation. However, it also opens new opportunities for faults and unforeseen disruptions to compromise operations.

One significant point of vulnerability for supply chain operations is the increasing risk of cyber attacks. Vast amounts of data, including banking and payment data, move through the average logistics business daily. This wealth of sensitive information about both the logistics business itself and its clients makes them particularly tempting targets for hackers.

Whilst the CrowdStrike outage was the result of an unintended error rather than a malicious attack, it acted as a stark demonstration of why our intricately connected world needs to mitigate against such risks. If a comparatively small glitch can cost the top 500 US companies up to £4.1 billion in financial losses, we can’t afford to underestimate the potential ramifications of a larger threat.

The best way for businesses to mitigate the risks of such disruption is through preparation. It’s vital that companies invest in the right foundations, including secure and reliable network solutions. This can help to make sure any data stored or processed by this technology is accessible to those who need it and kept safe from the hands of cyber criminals.

Implementing robust network solutions

There are several ways that companies can invest in their network to help keep their data safe as they invest in new and innovative technologies.

For example, cloud computing is becoming an increasingly integral part of many supply-chain operations. Remote data storage has many benefits, allowing employees and customers alike to access important business data from all over the world. But this also means that a fault or disruption which interrupts this access can have a significant impact on operations.

Investing in Security Service Edge (SSE) technologies, for instance, can provide businesses with secure remote access to data, applications and tools and monitor and track user behaviour. These SSE technologies includes Cloud Access Security Brokers (CASB). A CASB identifies cloud applications, providing reputation, compliance, and risk scores. They also block inappropriate apps and malware. Data Loss Prevention (DLP) also protects against data exfiltration, and cloud malware detection eliminates infected files which might put sensitive data at risk.

Security teams can also combine SSE technologies with SD-WAN to form a converged network and security solution. Referred to as Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) this cloud architecture model combines security monitoring and policy enforcement with integrated network controls. SASE allows network and security to act as a single service, providing authentication and access to data as and when it is needed. It ensures that all endpoints are secure and are managed with the same security and networking policies as their on-premise infrastructure, regardless of their location.

This enables anyone, anywhere to utilise company apps or data when needed, with only the right people having access to critical business data.

Getting ready for resilience

Today’s world of digital reliance demands businesses to prepare as much as possible for any disruption risks. As the logistics sector continues to embrace new and innovative technologies, having network solutions which provide centralised control and built-in security at scale is now a necessity for successful operations.

By adopting network solutions which enable safe and reliable data access, logistics managers will be able to mitigate the risks of disruption to supply-chain operations, allowing businesses to continue running smoothly.

Is your business prepared for disruption? Start evaluating your network infrastructure today to mitigate the risks of operational standstill.

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