The Register: As nation-state hacking becomes ‘more in your face,’ are supply chains secure?

Mar 24, 2025

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Source URL: https://www.theregister.com/2025/03/24/nation_state_supply_chain_attack/
Source: The Register
Title: As nation-state hacking becomes ‘more in your face,’ are supply chains secure?

Feedly Summary: Ex-US Air Force officer says companies shouldn’t wait for govt mandates
Interview Former US Air Force cyber officer Sarah Cleveland worries about the threat of a major supply-chain attack from China or another adversarial nation. So she installed solar panels on her house: “Because what if the electric grid goes down?" …

AI Summary and Description: Yes

Summary: The text discusses the increasing threat of supply-chain attacks, particularly from nation-state actors like China, highlighting the importance of organizations securing their supply chains and networks. Sarah Cleveland emphasizes the need for enhanced cybersecurity processes, visibility into networks, and the adoption of zero-trust policies to mitigate these risks.

Detailed Description:
– **Context of Supply-Chain Attacks**: The interview with Sarah Cleveland, a former US Air Force cyber officer, sheds light on the growing concern over supply-chain attacks from adversarial nations, notably China. She notes a shift from traditional espionage tactics to more aggressive and disruptive cyber operations targeting critical infrastructure.

– **Threat Actors**: Cleveland identifies the Silk Typhoon group, which has been linked to significant cybersecurity breaches, emphasizing that nation-state hacking is becoming more blatant, with a focus on compromising IT supply chains and critical infrastructure.

– **Critical Infrastructure Vulnerabilities**:
– As cyber attacks have evolved, the vulnerabilities associated with critical infrastructure have expanded, fueled by dependence on third-party vendors and cloud service providers.
– A single breach within a supply chain can lead to widespread consequences across multiple organizations, underscoring the cascading risk of third-party compromises.

– **Proactive Cybersecurity Measures**:
– Cleveland advocates for corporations to take preemptive steps in securing their supply chains rather than waiting for government regulations or bans on certain technologies.
– She stresses the importance of having visibility into networks to monitor data flow and detect potential infiltrations.

– **Recommendations for Organizations**:
– Enforce zero-trust security policies to limit access to sensitive data and networks, ensuring that trust is never assumed but verified.
– Implement multi-factor authentication to enhance security layers.
– Organizations should develop mature cybersecurity processes that include:
– Understanding who has access to what data.
– Regularly reviewing and de-provisioning access when employees leave.
– Maintaining a comprehensive understanding of data flows within and outside the organization.

– **Technological Implications**:
– Cleveland’s role at ExtraHop, a network detection and response company, suggests a potential bias towards promoting their solutions; however, her recommendations reflect essential practices that effectively reduce risks from supply chain vulnerabilities.

Overall, the insights provided by Cleveland are especially relevant for security professionals in the fields of infrastructure and supply chain security, highlighting actionable steps to enhance resilience against increasingly complex cyber threats.

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