Information Security and The Global Supply Chain: Don’t Ask Where I Got the Widgets

This paper examines the issues relating to transparency and secrecy in supply chains. To what extent should firms worry about the identity of their suppliers and their customers becoming known to third parties, or the identity of their suppliers’ suppliers or their customers’ customers? The discussion turns out to have relevance from a number of perspectives, including the nature of technological innovation, the protection of corporate reputation, and the management of business risk. The discussion will draw on both technical and managerial perspectives, and outline a series of dilemmas facing firms.