Building runbooks for supply chain compromise: a strategic guide for CISOs

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Executive Summary

Supply chain compromises have emerged as one of the most critical cybersecurity threats facing organizations in 2025. With attacks increasing by over 20% in 2024 and projections showing continued escalation, Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) must develop comprehensive runbooks that enable rapid detection, response, and recovery from these sophisticated threats.

This whitepaper provides a strategic framework for building effective supply chain compromise runbooks, drawing on recent incidents, regulatory requirements, and industry best practices. Key findings include:

• Supply chain attacks now cost businesses $60 billion annually, with projections reaching $80 billion by 2026

• Organizations with mature runbooks experience 50% fewer severe impacts and 40% faster response times

• CEO oversight of AI governance and workflow redesign are the top factors correlating with successful incident response

• Larger organizations (>$500M revenue) are implementing more comprehensive practices but all organizations face similar fundamental challenges

The paper outlines six critical components for effective runbooks: threat assessment protocols, incident response procedures, recovery guidelines, documentation standards, stakeholder integration, and implementation frameworks. By adopting these practices, CISOs can transform their organizations from reactive targets to resilient entities capable of detecting, containing, and recovering from supply chain compromises while maintaining business continuity.

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