CSCMP and TSC Advantage offer cybersecurity resources to protect supply chain

The Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP), a leading supply chain management trade group, said yesterday it will team with cybersecurity consulting firm TSC Advantage to offer resources and education about technology risks like computer viruses and ransomware.

The announcement follows the surprise cyber attack in June that hobbled Danish liner company Maersk Line and Memphis-based air and surface transport provider FedEx Corp. The "Petya" bug caused a global (IT) breakdown that froze operations at Maersk for several days and forced FedEx to resort to manual paperwork to keep parcel operations running at its TNT Express division.

The partnership with Silver Spring, Md.-based TSC Advantage will address the increasing cybersecurity risks that are posed by logistics firms' growing move to digital solutions, which can make their corporate assets vulnerable to open access by outside parties, CSCMP said.

Because of that growing risk, many regulators now require companies of all sizes to demonstrate third-party cyber risk management through executive involvement, the hiring of a designated security officer, independent assessment of supply chain governance, and routine monitoring of vendor and supplier security, according to CSCMP.

CSCMP members can take part in a free pilot program to use TSC Advantage's "Secure Halo" platform to assess the security posture of up to 10 current or potential suppliers and vendors, according to the organization. The "Secure Halo" service offers an online platform and dashboard that displays the degree of cyber risk for individual suppliers or across a portfolio of companies, showing their security vulnerabilities and providing prioritized recommendations.

For a more personalized approach to discussions of cyber risk strategy, CSCMP members can also take the Secure Halo Express survey, which asks 11 questions about enterprise-wide security and provides a customized complimentary report based on the user's responses.

"Technology has introduced new and complex security risks that supply chain professionals must be aware of," CSCMP Vice President Chris Adderton said in a statement. "This partnership provides the opportunity to raise awareness and understanding around cyber risks, and we are excited to partner with TSC Advantage to offer education and solutions."