More than a decade ago, the Target breach underscored the critical need for more robust vendor security standards. Today, these concerns have only intensified. As organizations increasingly rely on third-party services and integrate more external systems into their networks, the potential entry points for cyberthreats are multiplying the vulnerabilities that demand our attention.
Cybercriminals are growing bolder, more overt in their demands, and faster to monetize opportunities they uncover. Attacks are increasingly nuanced and sophisticated, often with hackers infiltrating networks, keeping a low profile, and patiently gaining intelligence on how organizations operate to create targeted exploits. Moreover, they are adapting to an increasingly target-rich environment, where the extensive interconnectivity of external vendors and service providers offers ample intrusion opportunities.
Therefore, it’s not surprising that the service providers multiple organizations rely on are often targets. The reason is simple: why attack one enterprise when a successful breach of a vendor can open the door to many?
