Cyber Risk Management for a Global Logistics Hub

The Challenge: Complexity and Third-Party Dependencies

A major international logistics hub—managing port operations, warehousing, and customs—faced severe cyber risk due to the sheer complexity of its digital ecosystem. The hub’s network included thousands of interconnected systems: third-party shipping partners, sensor-laden cranes, administrative IT, and public-facing portals.

The Hub’s Core Threat: A compromise in a smaller, less-secure third-party vendor (e.g., a port services contractor) leading to a large-scale data breach, service disruption, or malware attack that could halt the flow of global commerce. The goal was to establish a unified framework for continuous cyber risk management.

Subex Secure’s Unified Risk Solution

Subex Secure implemented a centralized risk management and intelligence platform that provided the hub with unified oversight across all operational and partner networks.

Phase 1: Comprehensive Risk Mapping

• Asset and Dependency Mapping: We conducted a full assessment to identify every asset, data flow, and third-party dependency. This revealed critical exposure points where partner networks connected directly to mission-critical infrastructure.
• Data Classification and Prioritization: All data was classified (e.g., sensitive cargo manifests vs. general scheduling data). Security controls were then prioritized based on the potential financial and operational impact of compromising specific systems.

Phase 2: Predictive Risk Modeling

• Behavioral Analytics Engine: We deployed a predictive analytics engine that continuously monitored traffic between the hub and its 50+ key partners.
• Risk Scoring: The system assigned a dynamic risk score to each partner based on compliance, traffic patterns, and global threat intelligence. If a partner's network showed signs of compromise (even small behavioral anomalies), the system automatically reduced the hub's connectivity to that partner to a minimal, isolated conduit.

Phase 3: Continuous Compliance and Auditing

• Automated Compliance Checks: The solution provided continuous auditing capabilities, automatically generating evidence and compliance reports for international maritime and supply chain regulations.
• Vulnerability Remediation Orchestration: Rather than relying on manual reports, the system automatically prioritized and orchestrated remediation efforts across different security teams, ensuring the fastest possible closure of high-risk vulnerabilities.

Conclusion: Results and Business Value

The implementation transformed the hub's security from a reactive, segmented effort into a cohesive, predictive program that secured global operations.

• Metric: Reduced critical cyber incidents linked to third-party partners by 60% in the first year.
• Operational Control: Maintained continuous governance over partner networks and logistics systems.
• Business Value: Strengthened confidence among key international partners and insurers, demonstrating commitment to Digital Trust across the supply chain.

Is your supply chain protected against predictive threats?