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Roughly a third of business executives have reported a significant rise in online breaches targeting their supply chains during the last six-month period, as high-profile cyber breaches on well-known companies have underscored this growing risk to contemporary enterprises.

Online security issues move up priority lists for purchasing directors

Online protection issues have moved up the list of concerns for procurement managers at multiple organizations worldwide across diverse business fields including manufacturing, utilities and technology, according to latest professional survey carried out in the ninth month.

Major digital attacks result in considerable monetary impacts

Recent cyber attacks at several major companies have resulted in losses of millions of pounds, shifting cyber resilience from being primarily the focus of IT departments to becoming a major priority for executive leadership and company directors.

The character of international commerce, the manner in which we look at international logistics networks and the digital supply environment are ever more connected,

stated a leading industry executive.

International considerations intensify logistics anxieties

Earlier this year, procurement executives were especially worried about international tensions, including ongoing conflicts in several parts of the world, along with international tariff measures that weighed on worldwide business.

Nonetheless, digital security risks are now matching geopolitical shocks and commercial conflicts as the main threat for participants of international trade associations.

Survey shows broad effect

The research discovered that nearly 30% of directors indicated that organizations within their logistics networks had been attacked by digital attacks in recent months.

Major car manufacturing effects

One prominent automotive manufacturer experienced production shutdowns and was unable to manufacture cars for four weeks, following a cyber-attack that compelled the company to shut down computer systems across several international locations.

The monetary effect of this month-long manufacturing halt at the United Kingdom's primary vehicle producer has been calculated at approximately 120 million pounds in lost profits, or £1.7 billion in foregone income, according to university research from a corporate finance professor.

Latest international incidents

In late September, a well-known Japanese brewing group became the newest business to be forced to cease operations at its home country facilities following a digital breach.

The organization, which manages numerous manufacturing plants in its home country producing alcoholic beverages and other products, reported that its order processing capabilities, along with delivery systems and call center operations, had been halted following a network disruption resulting from the cyber-attack.

Increasing interconnectedness generates weaknesses

Organizations are more and more assisted by external entities. No longer exist the days of thinking an company as an operation operating in isolation.

Current high-profile digital breaches have served as a clear warning to companies to devote funding to strong cybersecurity measures, to protect their business activities and preserve client faith, leading them to investigate how their distribution systems could become potential focus points for cyber criminals.