Cybersecurity, a Valuable Asset for Exporters

Strengthening your cybersecurity protects your operations, while also helping you access new markets. 

Today, success in exporting is driven by more than just product quality, price or delivery times. It increasingly depends on a company’s ability to protect its data, systems and supply chain. 

In other words, cybersecurity is no longer merely a technical issue. For many markets, it is becoming a prerequisite for gaining access. 

Cybercriminals target the weakest link 

The tightening of regulations in Europe, the United States and elsewhere can be explained by a simple fact: the global economy relies on complex, interconnected supply chains. A weakness in one supplier can undermine the entire ecosystem. 

Large organizations have invested heavily in strengthening their security. Cybercriminals are well aware of this. Rather than targeting the best-protected companies directly, they often look for an easier point of entry through a supplier, business partner or subcontractor. 

That explains the rise in stricter requirements, particularly in Europe. The introduction of the NIS2 Directive and the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA), for instance, contributes to increased expectations regarding cyber-resilience and supply chain security. 

The approach in the United States is different. There, we see more compliance frameworks and standards, such as those from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the guidelines from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). These may not necessarily be laws in the strict sense, but in practice, such frameworks strongly influence market expectations. 

The impact of cybersecurity requirements on exporters  

For a Canadian company looking to export or integrate into an international supply chain, cybersecurity can quickly become a barrier to entry. 

In practical terms, this implies that, when responding to a call for tenders or joining a supply chain, you may be asked for very specific details, such as what controls are in place, how you manage incidents, whether penetration tests are conducted and how you monitor your vulnerabilities. 

In some cases, recognized certifications or attestations may also become a deciding factor. ISO 27001 is often used as a structuring framework. For service companies, compliance with the SOC 2 standard is increasingly required. However, certification alone is not enough. Clients also want a consistent approach and concrete evidence of cybermaturity.  

Leveraging cybersecurity requirements 

All this pressure may seem overwhelming. Yet cybersecurity should not be viewed solely as an expense or a matter of compliance. It can also become a real business driver. 

Strong governance can help you: 

• gain access to new markets; 
• reassure increasingly demanding clients; 
• stand out from less prepared competitors; 
• reduce exposure to incidents. 

It is therefore a way to better protect yourself, of course, but also to gain credibility at a time when selection criteria are becoming stricter. 

The right steps your organization should take  

The most common mistake is to purchase tools before having defined a strategy. A technological solution is no substitute for a clear vision. 

The first step is to assess your level of cybermaturity. You need to identify what you need to protect, what your actual risks are and which scenarios would have the greatest impact on your operations. 

A company developing a digital service will not have the same priorities as a manufacturer whose components are found in critical infrastructure. In the first case, the risk may involve data confidentiality. In the second, product integrity is also at stake. 

With this in mind, you can structure an approach tailored to your company’s reality. The fundamentals often remain the same: 

• protecting information confidentiality; 
• ensuring the integrity of systems, data and products; 
• maintaining operational continuity. 

After that, the specifics vary from one company to another. Several measures can make a difference: 

• conduct a cybermaturity analysis;  
• map the priority risks; 
• review existing policies and controls; 
• monitor relationships with suppliers and partners; 
• test the infrastructure security; 
• prepare an incident response plan; 
• use up-to-date content when training teams. 

This last step is perhaps the most important. Phishing techniques have evolved significantly. Email scams are more credible, more targeted and often harder to spot than before. Generic or outdated training doesn’t provide sufficient protection. 

In the age of AI, businesses must adopt a continuous approach  

Cybersecurity isn’t a task you can cross off your list once the right tools are in place. It’s an ongoing process. 

With artificial intelligence (AI), attacks are becoming faster, more frequent and more sophisticated. Companies must therefore reinforce their controls, as well as their ability to adapt. What is effective today may not be adequate tomorrow. 

In this context, standardized support is not a viable option. You need assistance that is tailored to your organization’s situation and could include: 

• evaluating the level of cybermaturity; 
• prioritizing risks; 
• preparing for an audit; 
• implementing controls; 
• providing strategic support, such as a virtual CISO, i.e., access to high-level cybersecurity expertise without having to hire a full-time resource. 

The right question, therefore, is not whether you should invest in cybersecurity. It’s knowing when you want to turn it into a competitive advantage.  

This article was written in collaboration with François Caron, Senior Manager in Cybersecurity with VARS, an RCGT subsidiary.