Securing the Supply Chain: The Role of OSINT in Logistics

Supply chain operations can be vast. While globalization and digital technologies are making the world a smaller place in many ways, they also increase the number of potential vulnerabilities that security teams and supply chain managers must monitor. Current threats to the logistics sector include climate and weather events, piracy, terrorism, DDoS attacks, malware and data breaches.

The range of potential threats is exacerbated by the vulnerabilities of the supply chain and the sheer size and scope of the operations involved. For example, around 90% of the entirety of global trade flows through only 39 bottleneck regions. An effective attack on any of these 39 traffic-heavy logistics hubs would have far-reaching consequences impacting billions of dollars of trade.

One example is the Hong Kong-Shenzhen freight cluster, a critical gateway for global manufacturing and trade, through which tens of millions of tonnes of container and air freight move annually. Additionally, there are a number of geographic chokepoints, such as the Panama Canal and the Strait of Malacca.

It is no longer merely the threat of attacks to these areas, which could halt a vast amount of freight. Incidents, such as the grounding of the Ever Given in the Suez Canal in 2021 and the drought that restricted movement through the Panama Canal in 2023-24, demonstrate that these geographic chokepoints are increasingly vulnerable.

If this wasn’t enough, digitization has increased the number of threats that logistics companies need to consider. This increase in vulnerability needs to be addressed through effective security measures, such as real-time data collection using Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) software.

How can transport and logistics companies secure their supply chains?

Ensuring secure passage

One of the key concerns – and one of the oldest – that logistics and transport companies have to contend with, is tangible and physical security threats; terrorism and piracy being the obvious examples. The rise in extreme weather events, such as hurricanes and droughts, also places pressure on logistics routes. Organizations need real-time information to carefully and continuously assess the threat level, implications and risks surrounding these physical security concerns.

These analyses help organizations to develop mitigation strategies. They also help to establish contingency plans for worst-case scenarios. Organizations need to be able to adapt and respond quickly to events as risk levels change. Supply chain managers across all industries need to consider higher transportation costs, longer travel times and potential issues in meeting schedules when alternative transportation routes are used.

These strategies depend on continuous visibility of current and emerging threats. Without this response, planning is compromised. Being caught unawares could have far-reaching and even devastating consequences. And, in some cases, business models based on time-critical deliveries may be squeezed out of the market.

Keeping cyberspace safe

Cybersecurity is a concern that should be receiving increasing attention as cybercriminals continue to evolve their tradecraft.

In 2017, a cyberattack cost shipping giant Maersk upwards of US$300 million. A vicious malware called NotPetya took down Maersk’s IT systems. Maersk was handling roughly one container ship into port every 15 minutes. So, it's easy to imagine the logistical nightmare that ensued as the company was forced to turn to manual processes to keep things moving.

The Russian military developed NotPetya to target businesses in Ukraine – but the malware quickly got out of hand. Soon, it was spreading around the world, taking down networks and causing billions of dollars in damage and lost revenue. In this scenario, Maersk was simply collateral damage.

More recently, Expeditors International were affected by a cyberattack that forced them to shut down their operating systems, disrupting their services for more than three weeks. Expeditors later revealed the attack had cost them $60 million in lost revenue, investigation and remediation.

Transportation is already heavily reliant on Information Communication Technology (ICT), with virtual threats growing in frequency and complexity. For this reason, cyber threats are an increasing concern across multiple industries. Additionally, for transportation and logistics, cyberattacks designed to induce physical damage are an increasingly common attack vector.

OSINT software for a more secure future

Some organizations operate with hundreds of individual suppliers. If any supplier is disrupted, consequences across the supply chain could be costly. Expeditors International and Maersk are just two examples of this.

Investing in live threat detection doesn’t just reduce risk; it also keeps operations running smoothly and predictably. When it comes to security and supply chain management, it’s especially important to look at future scenarios and manage security proactively. Reacting to crisis situations is not enough. Companies must find the right combination of preventive and reactive measures to achieve the optimal level of supply chain security.

Executives should also keep an eye on so-called wildcard events. That means examining the potential financial impact, the relative vulnerability of their business model, and their company’s ability to respond to low-probability, high-impact events.

As supply chain threats multiply, staying ahead of the intelligence flood becomes more difficult. Signal’s tools cut through the noise by using AI to perform tasks, such as triaging alerts and providing contextual SITREPs for possible threats. This sort of practical application of AI creates efficiencies within security teams, without compromising the crucial situational awareness needed to keep logistics lines open.

How Signal is already helping secure logistics supply chains

• Signal alerts a customer to a supplier’s merger. They can find new suppliers in a timely fashion, preventing disruption and revenue loss.

• Signal provides data on severe weather warnings that affect multiple suppliers and disrupt transportation routes.

• Confidential data is found for sale on the dark web, allowing the organization to act quickly for threat mitigation.