October 2025
In Cyber Security Awareness Month, this week’s ACSC theme is Supply Chain Risk Management - and for good reason. Your suppliers, vendors, and third-party partners are more than just business enablers. They’re potential vectors for cyber attack.
At Matrium Technologies, we believe protecting your organisation means protecting your ecosystem. No matter how strong your internal defences, vulnerabilities in your supply chain can undo everything.
Cyber supply chain risk arises when a supplier, manufacturer, distributor, or other third party involved in your digital ecosystem introduces vulnerabilities. These risks may stem from:
Poor security practices or unpatched systems
Foreign ownership, influence or hidden control
Lack of transparency, subcontractor chains, or opaque dependencies
Enduring privileged access or credentials held by third parties
Use of counterfeit or tampered components
Every link in your chain matters. A weakness in one provider can cascade across your entire network.
Even more concerning: the risk you inherit from them is not static - as your suppliers’ own practices change, so does your exposure.
Recent audits of Australian government entities found that, while cyber supply chain risk is now part of procurement rules, compliance and enforcement are inconsistent. That gap is exactly where cyber threats lurk.
To manage supply chain risk effectively, ACSC recommends a structured approach built around these five pillars:
1. Identify
2. Understand
3. Set expectations
4. Audit / verify compliance
5. Monitor and improve over time
Here’s how each step plays out - and how Matrium can help you execute it:
| Pillar | Key Actions |
|---|---|
| Identify | Create and maintain a register of all suppliers, sub-contractors, and service providers (especially those handling sensitive data or privileged functions). |
| Understand | Assess the risk each supplier poses - security posture, ownership, transparency, privileged access, threat exposure. |
| Set Expectations | Embed cybersecurity obligations into contracts or MOUs: incident reporting, “right to audit,” security standards, supply chain traceability. |
| Audit / Verify | Perform audits or technical assessments (penetration tests, configuration reviews) to ensure suppliers meet their obligations. |
| Monitor & Improve | Maintain visibility into supplier security over time; share threat intel; conduct joint exercises; upgrade your controls as risk evolves. |
Complex subcontractor chains: Many suppliers rely on sub-vendors or global supply networks. You may not initially see those risks.
Balancing risk vs. practicality: Demanding overly stringent controls from every vendor can stifle agility. Expectation setting must be proportionate.
Resource constraints: Smaller organisations may struggle to audit every supplier. Focus your efforts first on those with high access or critical roles.
Changing landscape: Supplier risk is not constant - mergers, acquisitions, or changes in control can shift risk overnight.
Cyber supply chain attacks are not theoretical any more - they’re a reality. Breaches via third-party software, components, or services are increasingly common.
Research also shows that supply chain attributes (e.g. dependencies, network connections) improve our ability to predict cyber risk beyond “internal only” metrics. In other words - the health of your supply chain is part of your risk profile.
At Matrium Technologies, we don’t just secure your internal systems - we help you build resilient, secure partnerships across your supplier ecosystem. Here’s how:
Supply chain mapping & visibility: We work with you to catalog suppliers, understand dependencies, and identify hidden exposures.
Contractual guardrails: We support drafting enforceable cybersecurity clauses, “right to audit” obligations and incident disclosure obligations.
By integrating supply chain risk practices into procurement, IT, security and governance functions, you embed resilience into your decision-making.
If there’s one message we want you to take from this week: your supply chain is part of your attack surface. Ignoring it is no longer an option.
Start with what you can:
List your critical suppliers and their sub-vendors
Ask key questions (e.g. “Do you allow our auditors? Can you report incidents to us?”)
Build risk-based tiers and target your efforts where exposure is highest
Embed cyber expectations in supplier contracts
Monitor over time and stay ready to adapt
Matrium Technologies is here to help you lead that change - because identifying external weakness in your supply chain can be just as important as fortifying internal firewalls.