CLIQ Systems’ Pip Courcoux highlights current access control issues and risk mitigation for supply chain data security

Pip Courcoux, Sales and Product Manager - CLIQ Systems at Abloy UK, discusses the current issues around cyber security and explains why organisations must assess the resilience of their suppliers to minimise the risk of attack.

The landscape of security and access control has changed over the last decade, with the introduction of technology that allows for traceability and time management within mechanical keys. This has meant the conversation has changed - Passkeys, Cryptographic keys, Encryption keys are all becoming more commonplace. By default, we’ve become obsessed with cyber security, and high-profile cases and examples of data theft and loss are rife.

Research shows that 93 percent of large organisations and 87 percent of small businesses experienced a security breach in 2013, with affected companies experiencing roughly 50 percent more breaches than in 2012. Although keys provide access to critical assets, including servers that hold customer data and provide access to offices where customers’ accounts are managed, we see many organisations that don’t know how many keys they have in circulation, or where they are at any given time.

The supply chain

For organisations handling any kind of data, great importance must be placed on resilience within the supply chain. When considering exposure to risk, physical supply chain management presents a number of unique challenges.

Add to this the complex risks that cyber security poses, and ensuring a safe supply chain environment can seem like an impossible task. How ‘stable’ are your suppliers, do you know where they get their products from, how safe and protected are their assets, and how robust are their own relationships with their suppliers?

Mitigating risk can involve identifying dependencies and vulnerabilities that can impact upon supply chains. Increasing the visibility of these areas allows organisations to anticipate their impact and to plan for the contingencies.

Data protection

When it comes to the security of your data, areas that need to be considered include:

• What information are you sharing within your supply chain?
• Where is the data located?
• What are your suppliers doing with that information?
• Are they reselling that data?
• Is there a data controller and processing agreement in place?
• Are they prepared for compliance to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)? Enforcement date: 25th May 2018.
• How would you deal with a data breach?

The GDPR is a binding legislative act from the European Union for the protection of personal data. The Regulation tackles the inconsistent data protection laws currently operating throughout the EU’s member states and facilitates the secure, free flow of data.

If an organisation fails to comply with the Regulation it could be fined up to 4 per cent of the company’s global annual turnover – and could severely damage its reputation.

The secure option

To combat these risks, Abloy UK offers a high level of both physical protection, with its high-quality locking solutions, and data protection using only accredited software and infrastructure providers.

One example of this is PROTEC2 CLIQ, an electronic key system where all the power is retained by the key or locks themselves. This means no wiring is required, whether the system uses door cylinders, cabinet locks or padlocks. Users have secure access to the online management application from anywhere in the world and can change key access permissions, profiles, schedules and validity, even revoking their use virtually at the ‘CLIQ’ of a button.

Mitigating lost key risks

CLIQ keys are validated daily, weekly or monthly keeping them continuously secure. Users are required to change their password every 3 months – but when was the last time you changed your keys?

The CLIQ system enables the organisation to comprehensively track and audit who has access to which locations, when they had access and how often. Access can be granted only at the exact moment it is required, mitigating the risk associated with lost or stolen keys.

What’s more, Abloy uses accredited software and infrastructure providers that provide enterprise level SaaS solutions, compliant with European and National standards for physically secure key systems. Abloy also uses the latest techniques to secure its customers’ data behind three factor authentications, standard 256-bit encryption, advanced encryption and industry standard SHA-2 SSL certificates.

So, when it comes to data security within your supply chain don’t leave anything to chance, mitigate the potential risks in advance and only use suppliers you can be sure will keep your data secure.