Technology has brought tremendous advancements in the supply chain industry. Today the supply chain industry works in an interconnected way and at the same time it is dependent on various systems. If any disruption occurs in the supply chain process at any stage, the entire business is affected. In this way, the current time’s production process is highly intricate. The production and the distribution process works in a chain and we call this the supply chain. The supply chain in today’s era requires a lot of inter-connectivity and dependence. This connectivity is advantageous as well as damaging in some cases. In this article we will dive deep into the topic, SOC for supply chain examination.
1. Certified Experts required for SOC Examination
Soc for supply chain examination is performed by the expert and certified team. They possess degrees in accounting and auditing. They are CPA’s (Certified Public Accountants). The skilled pen testers have the ability to exploit the weaknesses in the security system using various scans. These white hat hackers work in a proactive way, they apply advanced technology to figure out the vulnerabilities. This group of professionals think out of the box and work one step ahead of the black hat hacker.
2. Planning
Planning to form a strategy is a very crucial point to detect the security lapse. The examination process starts with the thorough learning of each domain of the supply chain. The certified experts go through the entire process of the supply chain, knowing its control systems. As a result of the planning they organize the work according to its priority and importance.
3. Securing the confidential data
The team of CPA experts ensure confidentiality of the company’s sensitive data from unauthorized access of the hackers. The expert team applies extra layers of security by enforcing strong passwords and employing multi-factor authentication.
4. Identifying Risks
The professionals have the ability to analyze the significant risks. They find out the vulnerabilities and weaknesses in the system that can affect the supply chain effectiveness and security system. The disruption in the process of movement of goods can be highly damaging. The team controls the risk of data loss and breach of information. The team uses its best vulnerability testing tools which are automated as well as manual.
5. Certain domains are prioritized
Every organization has certain domains, which are highly sensitive and they need to be prioritized. Expert in the SOC team examines the level of threats and plans to store the stolen data.
6. Scope is defined
The team of experts to detect the vulnerabilities and the organization’s core team collaborate with each other to determine the risk factor. The meeting of the SOC team and the CPA teams experts meeting discuss all potential factors and risks involved. They finally figure out the ways and means to protect important company’s data from severe risks.
7. Planning Resource
The experts team has reliable tools and resources to uncover the hackers and their malicious intentions. These tools and resources are specially designed to figure out how the hackers breached any data and trace their ways of entering the company’s security systems. The expert members of the team work in coordination, using technology and latest tools such as intrusion detection system (IDS), strong firewalls to detect the infrastructure of the security system.
8. Access Controls
The SOC examination team grants access to control the resources and the applications with the core team members. The access controls are a significant part in maintaining the unification of the supply chain system. It aims at ensuring the principle of( POLP) principle of least privilege , the team confirms that the third party vendors, employees of the organization and team partners can easily access data mandatory according to their responsibilities. The members are ensured to work following the standards and norms set by the SOC examination team to reach desired goals. Strong password policies, multi-factor authentication are ensured to enhance additional layers of protection in the security system.
9. Vendor risk management
In order to ensure that vendors safely supply the product, the SOC team conducts various risk management assessments. The interlinked and interconnected nature of these days’s supply chain management involves vendors, third party entities and the partners. This interconnection creates intrusion, because the business does not take place at one place. It is dispersed and each member, the vendor, third party and the manufacturer all work cordially to give final shape to the product.
10. Data Loss Prevention
The SOC examination team has advanced tools to detect and recover the data loss prevention. The team has a robust system and high tech strategies to encompass organization’s lost data.
Final Words
Supply chain industry in today’s technological landscape witness numerous challenges due expanded networks and processes. SOC for supply chain examination is a proactive approach to identify risks involved and access controls of the organization. The SOC examination team is equipped with necessary tools and gadgets. The team is highly trained and they empower the organization to stay one step ahead of the potential threats. The overall purpose is to ensure the goods and services reach the destiny in a safe and sound manner without any interruption.
