8 easy cybersecurity tips to protect your logistics data

On January 28th, the world celebrates Data Privacy Day (known in Europe as Data Protection Day), a national day first initiated in 2007 by the Council of Europe to raise awareness among all users about the importance of protecting the privacy of their personal data information online and spreading cybersecurity best practices.

What is at stake with data protection?

Advances in digitalization have led to increasingly frequent, costly, and damaging cyber incidents especially as the COVID-19 pandemic has expedited the use of digital tools in business and the home. Securing the privacy, availability, and integrity of data has become a major stake for any individual or organization. A successful data protection strategy can help prevent data loss, theft, or corruption and can help minimize damage caused in the event of a breach or disaster.

Eight useful tips to keep your logistics data protected

Use a strong password

• Always use a strong password, with at least 12 to 14 characters
• Use a separate password for your professional and personal email account(s)
• Never share passwords with anyone!
• Change your passwords frequently (ideally every 90 days)
• Store passwords in a personal password manager, for example, KeePass (free to download and use)
• Using 3 random words is a good way to create a strong unique password that you will remember
• Do not use words that can be guessed (like your child’s name or pet’s name)
• Include numbers and symbols

Activate Two-Factor Authentication

• Activate Two-Factor Authentication 2FA for your personal accounts (email, banking, social media, …) as an extra layer of security used to make sure that people trying to gain access to an online account are who they say they are

Back up your personal data

• Back up your personal data on a separate drive, not directly onto your machine or backup to a secure cloud vault with 2FA authentication enabled

Use Anti-Virus Software

• Always have Anti-Virus (AV) software running on your machine
• Make sure that the AV software is up to date with the latest AV definition, both on your computer and your personal mobile phone

Be vigilant of emails

• Always double-check emails and avoid opening unsolicited attachments: scammers might use them to transfer malware or viruses
• Be wary of social engineering: scammers scrape personal information from the Internet and use it to impersonate friends or authority figures
• Don’t blindly click links, instead of hover over the link with your mouse and verify that the link matches the text
• If you do click an unsolicited link, and it takes you to a sign-in page, do not sign in. Remember that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Make sure your connected sensors and IoT devices are secured

• The increased use of sensors and Internet of Things (IoT) devices nowadays used in logistics businesses are a potential target for cybercriminals who may be able to intercept connections between your sensors and your IT system in order to harvest data and offer it to your competitors.

Beware of “Bill of Landing” ransoming

• Cybercriminals tend to impersonate logistics companies and contact clients pretending their goods are blocked at the port of landing until a ransom is paid. Double-checking the “Bill of Lading” documents with your clients is an efficient way to avoid this kind of confusion.

Protect your website from impersonation

• Through website cloning, cybercriminals may be able to impersonate your company in order to steal freight forwarding feed or make off with any cargo that falls into their possession. Securing your website from its development stage can deter potential criminals.

Information and data fuel the supply chain

Implementing these cybersecurity tips and protecting data is essential for logistics analytics as data is a highly valuable asset ensuring in real-time the smooth running of operations in a timely, and cost-effective manner.

In compliance with data protection requirements, Neptune, GEODIS' customer-dedicated web platform for tracking a load’s transportation provides transparency, agility, and simplicity to all supply chain actors. Achieving a major breakthrough towards more data-driven logistics, this real-time service provides tracking information, indicator reporting, and analysis, as well as document archiving.

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