When a global cybersecurity leader experiences a breach, it sends a loud and clear message: no organisation is untouchable in today’s digital landscape.
Recently, Zscaler confirmed it was impacted by a supply-chain cyberattack. The breach originated from a third-party sales engagement platform integrated with Salesforce. This gave attackers unauthorised access to Salesforce data—without even needing to bypass multi-factor authentication.
What Was Affected?
- Customer details like names, job titles, work emails, phone numbers, and regions
- Product licensing information
- Some plain-text content from customer support cases
The good news? Attachments, files, and Zscaler’s core security infrastructure remained untouched. Their products and services were not compromised.
Why This Matters:
This breach highlights a truth many leaders overlook: your security is only as strong as your weakest third-party integration. In this case, the entry point wasn’t Zscaler’s fortress—it was a connected app.
Key Takeaways for Business Leaders:
- Audit your SaaS ecosystem – Know exactly which third-party tools connect to your core systems.
- Limit access – Ensure integrations only have the permissions they absolutely need.
- Be proactive – Continuously monitor for unusual activity; don’t wait until it’s too late.
- Communicate transparently – Zscaler’s open response helped preserve customer trust.
The Bigger Lesson:
Even the best in cybersecurity can face breaches. What separates strong organisations from the rest is how quickly they respond, how well they contain the damage, and how transparently they communicate with their customers.
This incident is not just a warning—it’s a playbook for resilience.
What’s your take? Do you think companies are doing enough to secure their third-party integrations, or is this the next big cybersecurity blind spot?
