What happened
Cybersecurity firm Group-IB has reported a notable increase in supply chain cyber attacks across the Asia-Pacific region, driven by threat actors, including criminal groups and state-aligned operators, leveraging artificial intelligence and trusted third-party software and services as attack vectors. These AI-enhanced attacks are reshaping the regional threat landscape and expanding adversary reach via compromised vendors and software components.
Who is affected
Organisations across the Asia-Pacific region, particularly those with extensive third-party dependencies or complex supplier networks, are at heightened risk, with attackers using trusted partners, software libraries, and service providers as footholds into broader enterprise and critical infrastructure systems.Â
Why CISOs should care
Supply chain attacks can bypass traditional internal security controls, enabling threat actors to infiltrate multiple organisations through a single compromised vendor. The use of AI accelerates this risk by automating reconnaissance, exploit development, and lateral movement, increasing both the scale and sophistication of campaigns. CISOs must understand that supply chain insecurity is no longer a peripheral issue; it is central to enterprise risk management.
3 Practical Actions
- Enhance Third-Party Risk Assessments: Conduct rigorous, continuous evaluations of supply chain partners and software dependencies, including security posture reviews, penetration testing insights, and real-time threat intelligence, to detect weaknesses before adversaries do.
- Implement Zero-Trust Principles: Adopt zero-trust network architecture across internal and external connections, segmenting networks and enforcing strict access controls to minimise lateral movement opportunities from compromised vendors.
- Leverage AI-Aware Security Tools: Invest in detection and response technologies designed to identify AI-augmented attack behaviours, such as automated anomaly detection, behavioural analytics, and adaptive threat hunting, to stay ahead of evolving adversary tactics.