Whether in a factory, warehouse or in transit, many touch points create security gaps that can lead to significant physical & financial losses. In a manufacturing or assembly location, unauthorized access to Bills of Materials or vendor/customer creates risks. Any movement of inventory, work-in-process or raw material, whether inbound or outbound, involves employees having access to system data. Often this access is from shared computers or devices which provide no accountability or traceability, especially if protected only by passwords. This provides a dishonest employee with multiple means of defrauding their organization. Identity management activated with biometrics, coupled with granular or layered biometrically verified credentials, even from shared devices such as kiosks, can mitigate these risks.
Threat areas within the supply chain can include:
- Unauthorized Movement of Inventory, WIP, Raw Materials
- Receipt and Release of Goods
- Customer or Vendor Account Tampering
- Shrinkage
- Inventory Write-offs
- Unauthorized Access to Bill of Materials (BOM)
- System access at shared devices
- Regulatory violations (example ITAR)
