What caused the supply chain crisis for Cream Cheese and what organizations can learn from it…

Late 2021/Early 2022 my wife went to the grocery store. She came back frustrated saying ‘I checked a couple of our regular grocery stores and no one has cream cheese’.

I don’t even like cream cheese but my daughter loves it, so we had to do our best to find some.

Eventually, we were able to locate some cream cheese with a little luck.

But this drove a curiosity within me to at least Google why there was a cream cheese shortage. 

What I found out was not related to our global supply chain ongoing issues, but something else that I wasn’t expecting. But it also didn’t really surprise me.

What was the principal reason?

Cyberattack.

That’s right. In October a cyberattack against the nation’s largest cheese manufacturer contributed to a shortage of cream cheese across the US 

Bloomberg reported the attack at targeted plants and distribution centers. As a result of the attack, the Wisconsin-based Schreiber Foods had to close full operations for several days. 

This attack came during the holiday season, which made it even more inconvenient and costly.

The problem is not just the cream cheese industry. All industries and organizations are at risk of being victims of Cyberattacks.

Hackers are going after any industry with remote workers. Most of the attacks are through end-users or vendors within the supply chain.

We have seen other instances like the Colonial Pipeline. Cyberattacks like malware, ransomware, and other threats can cost companies millions of dollars. And a bad reputation.

Here are the realities…

A new company is hit with ransomware every 40 seconds (Kaspersky Security Bulletin)

91% of companies feel vulnerable to hacks (CFO Magazine)

79% of global companies experienced cybercrime the past 12 months (CIO/CISO Magazine)

$4 million dollars is the average cost of a security breach (IBM)

So what can you do to protect your organization?

The world would be a better place without hackers and cyber attackers. Unfortunately, that is not realistic.

Proactive security measures are the only option. Security is square one.

Here are some of the security services to help mitigate the risk of cyberattacks:

• Pen Test – an attempt to gain access to a network or application via simulated attack; often required for compliance such as PCI
• Vulnerability Risk Assessment – the practice of evaluating an organization’s or IT environment’s current security posture with suggested recommendations for improvement; often performed about a specific security standard or compliance regulation
• Managed SIEM – a real-time, managed solution for Security Information & Event Management, designed to provide a holistic view of a customer’s environment and correlate various data sources to identify threats
• DDoS Mitigation – a solution designed to block Distributed Denial of Service attacks from taking down a network or online application; especially relevant for businesses that do business online
• Access Control – a technique to regulate who or what can use resources or applications on a network; can include Single Sign-On and Identity Access Management
• Perimeter Security – a broad approach to fortify the boundaries of a network; may include firewalls, Virtual Private Networks, intrusion detection, and intrusion prevention.
• Endpoint Protection – a unified solution to protect desktops, laptops, and mobile devices; features include anti-virus, anti-spyware, and personal firewall
• Incident Response – an organized, forensic approach to investigate and remediate a security breach; can be on-demand or via a monthly retainer

Questions to ask to begin the Security conversation

1. What security or compliance regulations do you need to adhere to?
2. When is the last time you went through a third-party security assessment?
3. Do you have a security team on staff 24/7?
4. In the event of an attack, what policies or procedures do you have in place?
5. Do you have a SIEM or log management system? If so, how do you manage it?
6. Do you have endpoint protection for devices such as desktops, laptops, and mobile devices
7. Do you have a process in place to quickly respond and remediate a security breach?

No one really wants to talk about security. Until it happens usually organizations are more reactive than proactive. By then it is too late.

But it is never too late to at least have a conversation about security.

Trusted technology partners can help you navigate the chaos in the security technology market help you find the right provider to meet your unique needs, and provide you with an objective approach.

For more information and resources around security or a no-risk/no-commitment security assessment contact Ryan Carter take our FREE analysis here:

NetSharx Security Analysis (FREE)