Asset theft, vandalism, or product tampering are examples of physical threats to a supply chain’s security. These can be mitigated by running background checks on personnel or requiring vendors to secure shipments within specific guidelines.

Then there are threats to cybersecurity, including malware attacks, piracy, and data breaches. Organisations can minimise these threats by applying the best digital security practices. 

As a whole, South Africa has taken significant steps to implement laws and regulations relating to the protection of data, especially with the increasing use of digital services. 

INControl is a software solution that takes data protection extremely seriously at a company level, and for all of its customers. 

Companies can trust that INControl is looking after their data, protecting it from theft and malicious hackers. For instance, one customer experienced a recent break-in at their premises. Their laptops were stolen, but thanks to INControl, the customer was able to carry on with business activities, because no vital business information was lost. In fact, the theft was a minor inconvenience and became an insurance-related event rather than a completely business-halting catastrophe. 

Here is a brief overview of the data protection methods enforced by INControl, to keep your data super safe: 

• Security procedures are embedded and configured within INControl’s business structure, meaning that from a company perspective, security is taken very seriously. INControl is ISO 270001 certified, which means that internal processes are not conducted outside of ISO procedures. 
• Advanced hardware measures are implemented, offering access control and backup procedures, ensuring that data is protected 24 hours a day. One example of a specific security measure is the use of strict login protocols, such as two-factor authentication with on-time pins, to prevent unauthorised access. 
• We use advanced encryption to code and develop our software securely, which is implemented in line with best practice guidelines and TLS (Transport Layer Security) protocol. This helps prevent hackers from getting into the system. 
• Although our client’s data is super safe, there is always a slight chance that data can be breached and hacked. In this unfortunate case, we follow strict protocol processes to assist clients further and will communicate with them continuously regarding the investigation.

Data visibility and accessibility are at the core of effective supply chain planning. It enables organisations to accurately forecast demand, track shipments, and inventory levels in real time, improve collaboration, reduce costs and improve customer service. Without data management and security, a supply chain disruption could occur. 

The number of supply chain disruptions worldwide is on the rise. In 2021, this number amounted to 11,642 supply chain disruptions, emphasising that hackers are getting smarter. 

To minimise disruption in a consistent and timely manner, an organisation can do even more, to ramp up security. 

Supply chain security best practices

• Understand your data. You should know exactly what type of data your organisation stores and how sensitive it is, which would need to be categorised and organised accordingly. Questions such as what data needs to be protected? Who has access to this data? What security measures are already in place? This will help you understand your security resource allocation, and to find out exactly what security procedures you need.  

• Conduct a risk assessment. How risky are your processes and tasks? With a risk audit, you can take security measures to mitigate risks or threats, and uncover areas for improvement. You will be building a culture of security awareness, and ensure that security measures are implemented where they are needed most. Not to forget, you will be better prepared to withstand security incidents.  

• Communicate continuously with your partners. As supply chain security is an ongoing challenge, it’s important to collaborate closely with third-party partners, so that everyone follows the same security guidelines. This includes monitoring security risks, assessing their severity, and planning ways to prevent them. For example, you could consider implementing service-level agreements (SLA) to make communication clear and supply chain security requirements standardised across all third parties. This will help with compliance and also hold teams accountable. Along with all necessary security requirements, an SLA should include the duties of each party, the metrics that will be used to measure compliance, and the stipulated fines for each violation. Additionally, you can assess what cybersecurity measures your partners are using and if your data is protected adequately. 
• Strengthen your data management. Some steps can immediately be taken to start managing your data effectively, from the get-go. This includes mitigating vulnerabilities by updating poor password policies and eliminating default passwords.  It’s also a good idea to conduct tests on applications and IT infrastructure across your organisation, that pose big risks to the greater supply chain.

For all your supply chain data protection requirements – INControl’s software could be what you’re looking for. Learn more about our software today!