Latin America. As part of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, experts warn about the increase in cyberattacks targeting the retail sector and the importance of protecting the digital supply chain.
According to KnowB4's 2025 Report on Global Trends in the Retail Sector, 32% of incidents recorded in retail are concentrated in Latin America, which positions the region as the second most affected worldwide.
According to Akamai, visibility into supplier cybersecurity has become a key element for retailers, as a breach in the security of a partner or service provider can have knock-on effects. Jairo Parra, the company's cybersecurity expert, explained that attacks often take advantage of vulnerabilities in software or network protocols to insert malicious code and gain access to critical digital resources. "A single committed partner can cause failures that affect inventory, payments, logistics and customer-facing functions," he said.
Among the most common threats are ransomware, phishing, and social engineering techniques, used by attackers to evade traditional defenses and access sensitive information. These incidents can cause operational disruptions, financial losses, penalties for regulatory non-compliance, and reputational damage.
Akamai recommends that retailers adopt proactive strategies to strengthen their supply chain resilience, including risk assessments, incident response plans, and cyber insurance tailored to third-party risk.
Among the measures suggested by the company are:
Continuous supplier visibility: Maintain constant monitoring of partners' cybersecurity practices, their backup systems, and recovery times.
Updating contracts: defining clear responsibilities for safety and establishing criteria to assess supplier readiness.
Advanced technological solutions: implement tools that allow visibility and response in real time, with special attention to web applications and APIs.
Secure communication channels: Protect interactions between retailers and suppliers through encrypted protocols, multi-factor authentication, and regular audits.
Specific cyber insurance: review policies to include coverage against disruptions caused by incidents in the provider network.
The company points out that, in the event of an incident, maintaining customer trust must be a priority. To this end, it recommends transparently communicating the impacts, defining realistic recovery deadlines and guaranteeing the protection of personal data.
According to Akamai, the combination of proactive cybersecurity strategies, rigorous supplier management, and coordinated response plans is essential to preserve the retail industry's operability and reputation in a digital environment that is increasingly exposed to threats.
