The IT and communication sector overtook financial services to become the most targeted industry by cybercriminals last year, according to research based on “early indicator analysis” by Darktrace.
At the heart of this rise has been an increased targeting of the software supply chain, as evidenced by a number of recent high-profile attacks, such as those on SolarWinds, Kaseya and GitLab. Attackers increasingly see such providers – and their proprietary source code, developer repositories, and open-source libraries – as an ideal entry point into target corporations, public bodies, and critical infrastructure.
Enterprises cannot suddenly turn away from utilising third-party vendors, so how can they best protect themselves against this significant and fast-growing threat? Tech Monitor editor-in-chief Pete Swabey spoke to Justin Fier, VP tactical risk and response at Darktrace, about the driving factors behind this rise; the lessons that have been learned from a spate of recent attacks; and why organisations of all sizes must urgently acquire greater visibility across their digital infrastructure, or risk catastrophe.
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