Beyond supply chain attacks and ransomware

The year of the supply chain attack

Supply chain attacks were up more than sixfold in the first nine months of the year alone, according to a report from software supply chain management company Sonatype. These attacks, including the high-profile SolarWinds incident of late 2020 whose fallout continues to expand, are extremely dangerous because once a hacker gains access to a significant software supplier, they can also sometimes reach the data and code of their subscribers and customers. This provides multiple routes to new targets, including those that were once considered well-protected. Another advantage for attackers is deniability, as they can use the supply-chain company as a proxy for another target.