Supply Chain & Port Cask: What’s in Your Barrel?
We’re wrapping up our Flight of Five Cyber Threats & Whiskey Pairings series with a threat that too many businesses still underestimate and are hard to stop supply chain attacks. You may have strong internal defenses, but if your vendors and third-party partners don’t, your business is in danger.
To match this rich, layered risk, we’ve paired it with Port Cask Single Malt from 10th Street Distillery, a whiskey finished in imported port barrels that mirrors how outside influences can shape what’s inside. It’s a reminder that what’s in your barrel depends on what’s around it.
How Supply Chain Attacks Hit
Supply chain attacks target the vendors, software providers, contractors, or third-party services your business relies on. When a supplier is compromised, the threat can cascade down to you, undetected.
Some recent, high-profile examples:
- The SolarWinds breach: attackers inserted malware into software updates affecting thousands of customers.
- The MOVEit breach zero-day flaw exploited in a popular file transfer tool affected organizations across industries.
Supply Chain attacks are dangerous because they’re so difficult to spot and prevent. Here’s why”
- Hidden Entry Points: Third parties often have trusted access to your systems.
- Lack of Visibility: Many small businesses don’t have clear insight into vendor security practices.
- Regulatory Risk: If your data is compromised through a third party, you’re still responsible for protecting it.
Strengthening Your Supply Chain
Your cybersecurity is only as strong as the weakest link in your supply chain. While you can’t force your vendors to be responsible for their security, you can take steps to prevent these types of third-party attacks. Here are you steps your business needs to take,
1. Vet Vendors Thoroughly
Ask new partners for their cybersecurity policies, certifications, and breach history. Don’t assume they’re covered; make sure to verify it.
2. Limit Access
Don’t grant full access unless it’s absolutely necessary. Segment networks and set role-based permissions for vendors and partners.
3. Monitor Activity
Use behavior monitoring and alerting tools to detect unusual actions, especially from external accounts or service providers.
4. Establish SLAs for Security
Include cybersecurity expectations and breach notification requirements in your vendor contracts.
5. Schedule Regular Risk Audits
Review your supply chain’s security posture regularly. Keep an up-to-date list of your vendors, what data they have access to, and any tools they manage.
Port Cask: What’s in the Barrel
Port cask–finished whiskey is all about what’s in the barrel and what’s around it. The rich, dark fruit notes of port seep into the whiskey over time, adding layers of complexity that don’t come from the grain alone.
Your IT environment works the same way. It might seem smooth and secure on the surface, but if the systems around it your vendors, suppliers, and software partners—are compromised, their vulnerabilities become your problem.
What’s in your barrel depends on what surrounds it. Make sure the influence is clean, trusted, and secure.
Final Sip
Supply chain attacks are sneaky and deeply disruptive, but with the right vetting, monitoring, and strategy, they’re preventable. At Nevtec, we help businesses build cybersecurity strategies that consider every link in your chain, from internal defenses to third-party partners.
Are your Vendors Putting you at risk?
Book a free cybersecurity consultation with Nevtec today. We’ll evaluate your third-party risk and lay out steps to mitigate it.
Stay tuned for our final recap post, where we’ll look back at all five whiskey and cyber threat pairings, and share how you can join us for a private tasting and live cybersecurity Q&A at 10th Street Distillery.
Cheers,
The Nevtec Team
Nevtec Company
