The Materials Management Operations Guideline / Logistics Evaluation (MMOG/LE), developed by the Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG) and Odette International, is a tool to assess supply chain operations that has been adopted by multiple OEMs within the automotive industry for use with their multi-tiered supply base. In 2020, MMOG/LE version 5 was released and included a new criterion (2.5.1.2) in section 2.5, Risk Assessment and Management, requiring organizations to develop policies regarding supply chain cybersecurity threats. This addition encourages more teamwork between all functional areas of the automotive industry and wants to ensure cybersecurity is addressed within the supply chain operations with the same diligence as other automotive safety issues. The combined expertise is required to ensure that the safety issues introduced by the ever-evolving computer technologies and digital solutions.
October is the month to unite in a joint commitment to raise awareness about the importance of cyber security and ensure all tiers of the supply chain are committed to staying safe and secure online while increasing our resilience against cyber threats.
A hallmark of the automotive industry is extraordinary innovation in the face of market needs. The auto industry has been a leader, steadily driving advances in safety features, safety engineering, and supply chain management in ways that software and cybersecurity disciplines must emulate.
Now the automotive industry faces a new challenge. Modern vehicles are computers on wheels and are increasingly connected and controlled by software and embedded devices. These newer technologies enable innovations designed to increase vehicle safety and bring other positive features. Vehicle-to-vehicle communication, driverless cars, automated traffic flow, and remote control functions are just a few of the evolutions under active development.
New technology and digital solutions introduce new classes of accidents and adversaries that must be anticipated and addressed proactively. Malicious attackers, software flaws, and privacy concerns are the potential unintended consequences of computer technologies driving this latest round of innovation. The once distinct worlds of automobiles and cybersecurity have collided, leading to the automotive industry and the security community to connect and collaborate toward a common goal.
When the technology we depend on affects public safety and human life, it commands our utmost attention and diligence. Our cars command this level of care. Every day, we entrust our lives and the lives of those we love to our automobiles.
Ensuring all tiers of the supply chain are well protected is now one of the critical cybersecurity strategy features because our industry’s defenses rely on suppliers further down the chain. Cybercriminals take advantage of smaller vendors’ poor security to gain access to the networks of large organizations. Consequently, More than 80% of organizations have experienced a data breach due to security vulnerabilities in their supply chains.
On this journey, the challenges will be many, and they will be significant, but together and through collaboration, we can rise to meet them. We look forward to having suppliers in all tiers of the automotive industry join in this endeavor.
To learn more about MMOG/LE you can visit the Odette or AIAG websites.
B.A.S.I.C.S., LLC is the official MMOG/LE Help Desk for the North American Market