The global chip shortage may no longer dominate headlines — but behind the scenes, critical supply chain weaknesses still threaten your cybersecurity.

While chip manufacturing has largely rebounded, the backend processes — like packaging, substrates, and photomasks — remain bottlenecked. Add in geopolitical tensions and tariffs, and you're looking at a perfect storm that quietly erodes the integrity of your hardware security.

Why This Matters: 

When secure components are delayed or unavailable, manufacturers (and businesses) face hard choices:

Deploy older or less secure devices

Delay upgrades that patch critical vulnerabilities

Source hardware from gray-market suppliers — opening the door to counterfeit or compromised tech

Even advanced protections like TPMs, secure boot chips, and firmware validation modules are affected.

Bottom Line:

You might not see these backend issues on an invoice, but you'll feel them in your exposure risk.

Now is the time to:

Audit your hardware supply chain

Review device security baselines

Create contingency plans for delayed secure hardware

Security isn’t just a software problem anymore — it’s a supply chain problem.

 

Schedule 15-minutes with Angela Jamerson to discuss your Windows 10 upgrades! The Silent Cybersecurity Risk Behind the Chip Shortage

 

 

 

Data-Link Associates, Inc. is a cybersecurity, IT support, and managed service provider proudly serving manufacturers, distributors, and wholesalers in Chicagoland, and across the nation.