Enlist Suppliers in the Fight Against Cybercrime

Given the reality of cybercrime and the threats that it poses to all organizations, cybersecurity has become an extremely important part of supplier risk management and mitigation. As many organizations have learned over the past decade, the weakest link in a supply chain can allow hackers to infiltrate networks that contain sensitive information and inflict significant financial and reputational damage.

It is no longer satisfactory for organizations to assume that their suppliers’ networks or data practices are secure. Many leading organizations, including the two discussed in this article, require their suppliers to comply with a set of baseline cybersecurity requirements to minimize the damage that cyberattacks can do and better secure the entire supply chain.

This article is based on collaborative research performed by MBA Students at Rutgers University. APQC would like to thank Constance Capone, Amber Herkert, and David Wald for their contributions.