More than half of supply chain leaders say that cybersecurity is the biggest challenge their companies will face over the next five years, as concerns mount over outdated technology and a lack of visibility and transparency. 

According to a survey of 350 supply chain executives from DHL Supply Chain, cybersecurity was flagged by 56% as a top operating concern, particularly as hackers have become more sophisticated and persistent. Another 47% of respondents said that their chief concerns relate to outdated systems and software, while 49% pointed to inadequate technology solutions. When asked what they believed would be the most prominent external force impacting their businesses by 2030, 70% flagged cybersecurity threats — the most of any category. 

"Even though we spend millions of dollars on cybersecurity, hackers are always challenging our capabilities and trying to discover weaknesses in our systems," one executive said in the report.

DHL Supply Chain also found that 73% of respondents expect their businesses to become more reliant on artificial intelligence by the end of the decade, with 78% predicting that machine learning, predictive analytics and GenAI will be the most prominent technologies impacting their supply chains. In late-September, Gartner warned that GenAI has increased the risk of data breaches, as many firms have struggled to blend the technology with older systems and safeguard sensitive data. 

This comes as nearly a third of maritime parts and service suppliers are reporting significant cybersecurity vulnerabilities, according to a separate report from supply chain management platform Achilles. In its assessment, Achilles flagged nearly 30% of 1,000 global suppliers for either "high" or "very high" cyber risk, while more than half didn't have adequate information security policies or public liability insurance.