Discussion 6 - The number of supply-chain attacks has been rising every

Discussion 6

Purpose

This assignment is intended to help you learn to solidify, reflect on, and find applications for the week's topics.

Overview

The number of supply-chain attacks has been rising every passing day. They target the weakest link in a supply chain and hack into even the most secure companies by first hacking a less-secure supplier in the chain. The 2020 United States federal government data breach – also known as the SolarWinds breach – was an example of a supply chain attack. It was the worst cyber-espionage incident ever suffered by the U.S. because of the long duration and the sensitivity and high profile of the targets.

Watch the following video to gain insight into supply-chain attacks:

· Supply Chain Attacks - SY0-601 CompTIA Security+ Links to an external site.

Watch the following video about software supply-chain attacks, a particular type of supply-chain attack:

· Software supply chain attacks explained Links to an external site.

Why are supply-chain attacks challenging to prevent and detect? What are the solutions to prevent and detect supply-chain attacks?

Action Items

1. read/watch the resources as indicated above. Post a 3- to 4-paragraph (375 to 500 words) discussion and reflection on the topics.

· Consider this to be a mini "reflection paper" per most of your other course work. Talk about what was interesting, difficult, or surprising in what you read. Note any "ah-ha!" moments.

· Find a current news article or journal article that highlights the topics for the week. Summarize the article's main points, and connect them to the material you read/watched in the resources of the current module.

· Connect the topics from the above resources back into prior coursework you have taken at Franklin or other institutions. Talk about where you first encountered the topics or concepts and whether or not this exposure to them enhanced or solidified your understanding.

2. Cite your sources. Sometimes this can be as simple as copying a URL into your posting or providing the author's name and the title of the book or article referenced. Of course, if you quote an author, you must provide a full citation in APA format.