Fourth-party supply chain monitoring refers to identifying, assessing, and continuously monitoring the security posture of the vendors and subcontractors used by your third-party vendors. It's about understanding the risks that exist beyond your immediate suppliers. While you may have direct relationships and contracts with your third-party vendors, those vendors often rely on their network of suppliers (your fourth parties) to deliver services. A security incident or disruption at the fourth-party level can cascade upwards, impacting your third-party vendors and your organization.

How ThreatNG Helps with Fourth-Party Supply Chain Monitoring

ThreatNG offers several capabilities that contribute to effective fourth-party supply chain monitoring:

• Supply Chain & Third-Party Exposure Security Rating: This rating is designed to identify and assess the security posture of your third-party vendors, including their dependencies on fourth parties. It uses various techniques, including domain analysis and dark web monitoring, to uncover potential risks associated with your extended supply chain.

• Domain Intelligence: This module can map the relationships between your third-party vendors and their fourth-party suppliers. ThreatNG can identify connections and dependencies within the supply chain by analyzing DNS records, subdomains, and certificates.

• Dark Web Presence: ThreatNG monitors the dark web for mentions of your third-party vendors and their fourth-party suppliers, including any discussions about security incidents, data breaches, or vulnerabilities.

• Sensitive Code Exposure: If your fourth-party suppliers have inadvertently exposed sensitive information, such as API keys or credentials, in public code repositories, ThreatNG can detect this and alert you to the potential risk.

• Technology Stack Identification: By identifying the technologies used by your fourth-party suppliers, ThreatNG can help you assess their security posture and identify potential vulnerabilities.

Examples of ThreatNG's Modules and Capabilities in Action:

• Supply Chain & Third-Party Exposure: ThreatNG identifies that one of your vital third-party vendors relies on a fourth-party cloud provider with a history of security breaches. This allows you to proactively engage with your vendor to discuss mitigation strategies and ensure they take appropriate steps to secure their infrastructure.

• Domain Intelligence: ThreatNG discovers that a fourth-party supplier used by multiple of your third-party vendors has a poorly configured DNS record, making them susceptible to domain hijacking. This information lets you alert your vendors and encourage them to address the issue with their suppliers.

• Dark Web Presence: ThreatNG detects a discussion on a dark web forum about a potential vulnerability in a software component used by a third-party supplier. This allows you to proactively investigate the issue and take steps to mitigate the risk, even before a public announcement is made.

Working with Complementary Solutions:

ThreatNG can integrate with other security solutions to enhance fourth-party supply chain monitoring:

• Third-Party Risk Management (TPRM) Platforms: TPRM platforms provide a centralized repository for managing third-party risk assessments and due diligence. ThreatNG's findings can be integrated into TPRM platforms to provide a more complete picture of vendor risk, including fourth-party risks.

• Threat Intelligence Platforms (TIPs): TIPs provide curated threat intelligence that can be used to identify and assess risks associated with specific vendors and technologies. ThreatNG's findings can be enriched with TIP data to provide a more comprehensive understanding of fourth-party risks.

• Vendor Risk Assessments: ThreatNG's data can inform vendor risk assessments and due diligence questionnaires, helping you ask the right questions and ensure that your vendors take appropriate steps to manage their supply chain risks.

Benefits of Using ThreatNG for Fourth-Party Supply Chain Monitoring:

• Extended Visibility: Gain visibility beyond your immediate suppliers to understand the risks associated with your entire supply chain.

• Proactive Risk Management: Identify and mitigate potential risks associated with fourth-party suppliers before they impact your organization.

• Improved Vendor Management: Enhance your vendor management program by incorporating fourth-party risk assessments and due diligence.

• Reduced Supply Chain Disruptions: Minimize the impact of security incidents and disruptions from fourth-party suppliers.

• Enhanced Resilience: Strengthen your organization's overall resilience by proactively addressing risks across your extended supply chain.