Supply chain attacks aren’t just about vulnerable code anymore. In this episode, Mitch Mayne sits down with cybersecurity expert Richard Emerson to unpack how attackers are exploiting trusted software packages, SaaS integrations, and open source dependencies to quietly infiltrate enterprise environments. From compromised NPM packages to cloud adoption, this conversation breaks down why traditional security models are struggling to keep up.
Richard explains how modern threat actors are taking advantage of trusted activity to avoid detection, why downstream disruption creates chaos for security teams, and what organizations can do to reduce risk before an incident spirals out of control. The discussion also covers SBOMs, CI/CD hardening, zero trust for the supply chain, and why a wider definition of inventory visibility is becoming fundamental for security teams. If you’re responsible for securing software pipelines, SaaS ecosystems, or third-party integrations, this is a conversation you’ll want to hear.
00:00 Why supply chain attacks often look completely legitimate
01:07 How supply chain threats have evolved beyond vulnerable code
01:38 The rise of third-party risk and SaaS compromise
02:30 Why open source ecosystems create massive attack surfaces
03:14 How threat actors exploit trusted relationships to avoid detection
04:08 Why attackers focus on build-time compromises
04:34 The attack that infected 47 packages in under a minute
05:42 The growing blast radius of downstream disruption
06:18 Why inventory is still one of security’s biggest problems
07:43 Why malicious downloads often appear completely normal
08:33 Applying zero trust principles to the supply chain
09:10 Why SBOMs and vulnerability tracking matter more than ever
10:07 “Untrusted by default” as a modern security mindset
[These are always the same]
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