Supply-Chain & Third-Party Phishing: Vendor-Trust Simulation & TPRM Insights

PTEF-Aligned:Profile → Tailor → Simulate → Evaluate → Evolve

Threat Narrative

Supply-chain attacks often start outside the organization. Threat actors compromise a managed service provider, SaaS provider, or key supplier—or simply imitate a trusted vendor—to exploit established business trust. The result is high-impact fraud and compromise: payment diversion, credential capture, remote-access abuse, and malicious document delivery. Cyberorca runs controlled simulations to validate how third-party trust can propagate risk into your core workflows—and to harden the verification, approval, and reporting controls that stop vendor-themed social engineering.

How Cyberorca Runs This Service

Governance applies across all phases.

Profile & Scope

TPRM Scoping & Relationship Mapping (Client-Led Inputs) — Identify critical vendor relationships tied to access, money, and sensitive data (MSP, SaaS, suppliers, integrators). Map normal communication paths (email, portals, ticketing, chat, phone) using client-provided context and approved documentation.

Tailor Scenarios & Controls

Scenario Design (Vendor-Themed, Approved Templates) — Create realistic vendor-themed scenarios aligned to common failure modes designed to test verification and escalation, not to trap individuals.

Simulate (Controlled Execution)

Controlled Execution (Internal-Only by Default) — Run campaigns inside the client environment using vendor-themed pretexts without contacting real third parties. Multi-channel simulations are executed only within approved boundaries and monitored live with a kill switch.

Evaluate (Telemetry & Reporting)

Safe Telemetry & Workflow Findings — Measure verification compliance, escalation/report behavior, time-to-report, and process bypass attempts. Report results by workflow and by vendor-relationship risk exposure using minimal data and aggregate reporting where possible.

Evolve (Remediation & Hardening)

Remediation, TPRM Alignment & Playbooks — Convert findings into controls: out-of-band verification for payment/vendor changes, strengthened remote-access approvals, and inputs to TPRM scoring and contract security requirements.

Metrics & Outcomes

Verification Compliance for Vendor Requests (payment change, access approvals, document requests)

Approval Workflow Resilience (attempts to bypass vs adherence)

Report/Escalation Rate (who reports and via which channel)

Median Time-to-Report (minutes/hours)

Repeat Exposure Rate (improvement across cycles)

High-Risk Relationship Index (which vendor relationships create the easiest path into core workflows)

Control Adoption (implementation of verification and approval safeguards)

Outcomes vary based on baseline vendor governance, finance controls, and reporting UX maturity.

Governance & Ethics

•Internal-Only by Default: Phase 1 uses vendor-themed scenarios within the client environment; no real vendor staff, accounts, or infrastructure are contacted or tested
•Tri-Party Testing Only by Written Agreement: any vendor-involved testing requires tri-party agreements, legal/HR approval, and explicit rules of engagement
•No Harmful Payloads: no malware, no exploits, no real credential collection
•No Unauthorized Impersonation: do not use real vendor brand assets or identities unless explicitly authorized in writing
•Privacy & Data Minimization: minimal telemetry; aggregated by workflow/role; RBAC and audit trails; defined retention
•Safety Controls: kill switch, live monitoring, stop conditions, and post-campaign debriefs

Engagement Model

Phase 1 — Internal Vendor-Trust Simulation: quarterly or bi-annual campaigns + workflow risk report + prioritized controls. Phase 2 — Strategic Vendor Validation (Optional, Tri-Party): selected strategic vendors participate under tri-party agreements; outputs feed into TPRM scoring and contract requirements. Program Integration: results integrated into SOC playbooks, finance/procurement procedures, and executive reporting.