Your security posture is only as strong as the partners you trust. Here’s what happens when they fail.
In today’s hyperconnected business landscape, third-party relationships are essential. Yet these same connections often introduce the greatest risk. Over the past year, multiple high-profile breaches have shown how even companies with strong internal security controls can suffer devastating exposure through a weak link in their supply chain. Below are four major third-party breaches that have captured attention in recent news cycles, each offering a cautionary tale.
Ticketmaster and Santander Breached via Snowflake Compromise
In June 2024, attackers claimed to have accessed the data of over 560 million Ticketmaster users and 30 million Santander customers. The breach appears to be linked to a compromised account within a demo environment at Snowflake, a cloud data platform used by both organizations.
- How it happened: A contractor’s Snowflake test account was targeted, and multi-factor authentication was not enabled.
- Result: Massive datasets were allegedly stolen and offered for sale online.
Okta’s Support Platform Exploited Through Contractor Credentials
In late 2023, identity and access management provider Okta confirmed that its customer support system was compromised. Threat actors gained access to session tokens stored in support tickets, enabling unauthorized access to customer environments.
- How it happened: A third-party contractor’s login credentials were stolen, giving attackers access to sensitive session data.
- Result: Multiple enterprise clients were affected, including exposure of session tokens that could be reused.
MOVEit Transfer Vulnerability Impacts Hundreds of Organizations
A zero-day vulnerability in Progress Software’s MOVEit Transfer tool was exploited in mid-2023 by a ransomware group. The flaw allowed attackers to extract sensitive files from servers operated by large companies, governments, and universities.
- How it happened: Attackers discovered a previously unknown SQL injection flaw that could be used to steal files.
- Result: Hundreds of organizations reported data theft, with a range of personal, financial, and operational information exposed.
SolarWinds Orion Breach: A Case Study in Supply Chain Attacks
Although it took place in 2020, the SolarWinds incident remains a defining example of third-party compromise. Attackers injected malware into software updates for the SolarWinds Orion platform, reaching thousands of customers around the world.
- How it happened: The attackers infiltrated SolarWinds’ development environment and added malicious code to an update package.
- Result: Over 18,000 organizations installed the compromised update, including US federal agencies and Fortune 500 companies.
What This Means for Your Business
Each of these incidents reinforces a hard truth: even if your internal systems are secure, a third-party misstep can lead to a data breach that affects your organization. Vendors, contractors, software platforms, and cloud providers can all introduce hidden vulnerabilities.
At Nullayer, we help clients uncover these risks through external assessments, vendor security reviews, and continuous vulnerability management. If you are unsure how your partners are handling their responsibilities, we can help you take a proactive approach before attackers exploit the weakest link.
Let us assess your third-party exposure before someone else does.
