Supply Chain Shifts Challenge CPS Security Strategies
▼ Summary
– Economic pressures, supply chain changes, and new regulations are increasing cyber risks for cyber-physical systems (CPS) and forcing security strategy re-evaluations.
– Supply chain instability is heightening third-party risks, with 46% of organizations experiencing a breach linked to vendor access in the past year.
– Upcoming regulations like the Cyber Resilience Act and NIS2 will require 76% of organizations to overhaul their current CPS security strategies.
– Many organizations struggle with visibility and risk reduction, with 45% concerned about protecting key CPS assets and understanding their risk exposure.
– AI is becoming essential for CPS security, with 93% of respondents requiring AI capabilities for improved threat detection and automated response.
The protection of cyber-physical systems is becoming increasingly complex as organizations navigate a rapidly evolving threat environment. Economic volatility, shifting supply chains, and new regulatory demands are expanding the attack surface while complicating security management. A recent survey of 1,100 security professionals reveals how these pressures are elevating risks and compelling chief information security officers to adapt their defensive approaches.
This research centered on high-stakes sectors including industrial operations, connected medical equipment, and building management networks. It underscores how external forces, particularly supply chain instability and compliance mandates, are introducing serious obstacles for those tasked with safeguarding integrated physical and digital infrastructures.
Global supply chain realignments are amplifying third-party cyber risks, with nearly half of those surveyed confirming that these changes have increased organizational vulnerability. A significant 67% reported reevaluating their supplier geography in light of economic and geopolitical uncertainty. This restructuring introduces new weak points, as threat actors target freshly integrated vendors and technologies. Alarmingly, 46% of organizations suffered a breach in the past year linked to third-party access, often involving malware or ransomware introduced via compromised supplier credentials.
In response, nearly three-quarters of organizations are reassessing third-party remote access to their operational environments. The primary motivations for these reviews include risk reduction, cost efficiency, and insufficient visibility into vendor activities.
Regulatory landscapes are also in flux, creating additional challenges. Most organizations currently base their security strategies on established frameworks like the NIST Cybersecurity Framework or ENISA guidelines. Yet 76% anticipate that forthcoming regulations will force a major overhaul of their existing programs. In the U.S., potential revisions to federal cybersecurity rules may alter current requirements, while Europe’s impending Cyber Resilience Act and NIS2 directives will demand significant compliance updates.
Notably, external regulations, rather than internal risk assessments, are the dominant force shaping CPS security initiatives. This reliance means that regulatory shifts can directly disrupt organizational security postures.
Operational hurdles remain significant. Forty-five percent of respondents expressed concern about their ability to mitigate cyber risk to critical assets, and a similar proportion struggle to gauge their organization’s overall risk exposure. Other persistent challenges include adhering to compliance mandates, controlling third-party access, and maintaining accurate inventories of interconnected devices. These difficulties reflect the inherent complexity of environments where operational technology, IoT sensors, and IT systems are deeply intertwined.
Artificial intelligence is emerging as a pivotal tool in addressing these challenges. An overwhelming 93% of professionals consider AI capabilities essential for protecting cyber-physical systems. Organizations are turning to AI to enhance threat detection, accelerate response times, and identify anomalies or zero-day vulnerabilities. By automating tasks like log analysis and incident triage, AI enables lean security teams to manage sprawling, complex infrastructures more effectively, a critical advantage in an era of constrained resources.
(Source: HelpNet Security)
