Supply chain security

Supply chain security (also "supply-chain security") activities aim to enhance the security of the supply chain or value chain, the transport and logistics systems for the world's cargo and to "facilitate legitimate trade". Their objective is to combine traditional practices of supply-chain management with the security requirements driven by threats such as terrorism, piracy, and theft. A healthy and robust supply chain absent from security threats requires safeguarding against disturbances at all levels such as facilities, information flow, transportation of goods, and so on. A secure supply chain is critical for organizational performance.

Typical supply-chain security activities include:

• Credentialing of participants in the supply chain
• Screening and validating of the contents of cargo being shipped
• Advance notification of the contents to the destination country
• Ensuring the security of cargo while in transit, for example through the use of locks and tamper-proof seals
• Inspecting cargo on entry