Cyber Brief: Third-party access, identity assurance and recovery

Today’s cyber reporting highlights how third-party access, identity assurance and recovery maturity continue to shape organisational risk. Rather than new attack techniques, many incidents stem from trusted access paths, inconsistent identity controls and limited rehearsal of recovery processes.

Third-party access remains a common route into organisations

Security reporting today reinforces that supplier and partner access continues to present risk where permissions are poorly scoped or retained longer than necessary. In several incidents reviewed, attackers gained entry using compromised third-party credentials that still had valid access to internal systems.
Once inside, activity appeared legitimate, allowing lateral movement and data access without triggering immediate alerts. The reporting highlights that indirect access paths are often less visible than core user accounts and therefore harder to detect.

Why it matters
Third-party access expands attack surface. Regular reviews and clear ownership reduce exposure.

Source
Reuters

Identity assurance gaps enable prolonged access

Industry analysis published today shows that identity assurance remains uneven across organisations. While authentication controls are often in place, monitoring and review of account activity is less consistent.
In incidents reviewed, attackers relied on valid credentials and avoided noisy behaviour, extending dwell time before detection. Limited visibility into privileged and service accounts contributed to delayed response.

Why it matters
Strong identity monitoring reduces dwell time and limits attacker impact.

Source
Infosecurity Magazine

Recovery maturity continues to vary across sectors

UK-focused reporting today highlights that recovery capability remains a differentiator between organisations. While many have documented plans, fewer have tested them under realistic conditions.
Unclear dependencies, limited rehearsal and uncertainty around decision-making continued to slow restoration even after incidents were contained.

Why it matters
Practised recovery improves confidence and shortens disruption.

Source
Computer Weekly

Today’s Key Actions

1. Review third-party and supplier access permissions
2. Strengthen monitoring of privileged and service accounts
3. Validate identity assurance and access review processes
4. Exercise recovery plans to test assumptions and dependencies

Secarma Insight

Today’s themes underline a consistent message. Cyber incidents often succeed through trusted access and gaps in visibility rather than technical complexity. Organisations that maintain discipline across third-party access, identity assurance and recovery planning are better positioned to respond and recover with confidence.

Get in touch with us to prioritise your next steps and strengthen your security posture.