CEO Concern about Cybersecurity Is Up 39% – and Supply Chain Hiring Trends Correlate

The Data

1. 1

   On earnings calls, CEOs mentioned cybersecurity 39% more in the first six months of 2024 than in all of 2023.

2. 2

   Comparing Q1 2023 and Q1 2024, mentions of “data security” and “cybersecurity” in supply chain job posts have risen by six percentage points and seven percentage points, respectively.

3. 3

   AT&T, Haleon, Hapag-Lloyd, and Peloton are among the companies mentioning “data security” or “cybersecurity” the most in supply chain job posts.

Data Is the Building, Data Security Is the Foundation  

Tapping the power of AI/ML and seizing the opportunities it offers supply chain is heavily dependent on data. And this increased dependence on data is causing increased concern around cybersecurity and data security.  

Our analysis of earnings calls suggests that the security and integrity of data are top of mind for CEOs: In the first six months of this year, mentions of cybersecurity on earnings calls increased by 39% when compared to the entirety of 2023. 

And discussions in the boardroom are reflected in hiring trends, with Zero100 analysis of supply chain job posts in Q1 of 2023 and Q1 of 2024 showing an increase in mentions of the terms “data security” (six percentage points) and “cybersecurity” (seven percentage points). 

A Proactive Approach

As our data and analysis show, companies are taking a proactive approach to cybersecurity and data security by hiring these competencies into supply chain to allow for more collaboration with Information Security. Alongside this, companies are taking other steps as they prioritize data and cybersecurity, which supply chain can follow suit on too. 

For example, one tech company we partner with classifies its data sets as internal, partner, ecosystem, external purchased, or external public source. Supply chain then partners with IT to categorize data sets from plan, source, make, and move into one repository with these classifications, assigning each a risk profile rating. The teams use this analysis as a starting point, creating a heatmap for cybersecurity to help focus efforts as they get started. 

Focusing on talent, a global consumer goods company consolidated its current IT organization, clarified its decision-making process around cybersecurity (which involved specifying criteria for AI solutions), and created new roles focused on this key priority (the latter speaking the importance of creating a wider cyber awareness culture). Overall, the result was stronger security and a 15% decrease in cost.  

The Takeaway  

As new opportunities bring new threats to supply chain, taking a proactive approach to cybersecurity and data security is key, not only as a form of risk management but also to be able to realize ROI on AI on a quicker timetable. Start by assessing where your supply chain is most at risk, function by function, then take lead from the companies we mention above, who are leading on hiring, ensuring you have the talent needed to minimize those risks.  

To see a different data cut or to dig deeper into this topic, reach out to our Head of Research Analytics, Cody Stack, at Cody.Stack@zero100.com.  
 

Methodology  

Zero100’s proprietary data and analytics are a combined effort between our data scientists and research analysts. We provide data-first insights matched with our own research-backed points of view and bring this analysis to life via real-world case examples being led by supply chain practitioners today.    

For this study, we analyzed 1,051 earnings calls between January 2023 and June 2024 from 192 B2B and B2C companies. We used an AI-driven methodology to categorize and analyze 3.5M job posts.  
 

Further Reading  

• The Signal: Is It Time to Fuse Supply Chain and IT? 
• The Signal: Data Culture: Never Waste a Revolution 
• The Zero100 Podcast: Searching for Supply Chain’s Big Data Unlocks: Google’s Paula Natoli