Episode 17

You could be the back door to your largest supplier

Are you inadvertently the "back door" into your largest client's secure network?

In this episode, Simon Batchelar is joined by Paul Everington to discuss the increasing cybersecurity risks facing Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). Large companies often have enterprise-grade security, making them difficult to hack directly. As a result, hackers are targeting the "weaker link" in the supply chain, the SME, to gain access or gather intelligence.

We explore real-world examples, such as Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) and Co-op, where supply chain hacks caused significant disruption. We also debunk the myth that you are safe just because you don't have a direct software connection to your client. Hackers can utilise social engineering via invoices or steal data like blueprints and software to reverse-engineer the larger client's security.

Key Topics Covered:

The "Back Door" Risk: How hackers use dormant employee logins to bypass security.

The Financial Consequence: Why big companies may sue their suppliers to recoup losses if they lack their own insurance coverage.

Data Value: Why your blueprints, drawings, and simple spreadsheets are valuable to criminals.

Risk Assessment: Practical advice on creating a "resilience plan" for when things go wrong.

About the Podcast

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Marketing For Engineering and Manufacturing
Expert marketing insights to get you the leads you need to grow your business

About your host

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Simon Batchelar

Simon Batchelar is a marketing consultant and the co-founder of Pallant. They are the author of Reframing Marketing.
With 20 years’ experience running their own marketing agency, Simon has transformed over 450 small businesses.
Simon spent 10 years as a TV and commercial sound editor, working on Oscar and Bafta-winning programmes.