Most logistics operations treat the various components of security as separate entities, creating gaps that can leave the overall operation vulnerable to attack. The most significant security risks facing logistics companies include cargo theft, cyber threats, insider threats, unauthorized site access, and supply chain disruptions. When the systems designed to address these risks operate independently, critical information can be overlooked and vulnerabilities can go undetected. Criminals can exploit these gaps, making an integrated and coordinated security approach essential to protecting cargo, facilities, information, and the overall supply chain.

Quick answer: The strongest defense combines real-time monitoring, tighter access control, and consistent staff training. Cargo theft, cyber intrusions, insider misuse, unauthorized access, and disruption events are hitting logistics operations at the same time, this creates the best scenario for criminals to take advantage of your opterations.

Key Takeaways

• In 2025 cyberattacks targeting logistics companies, carriers, and ports jumped sharply and are projected to climb further.
• Roughly one in four businesses reported a security breach originating from their supply chain in the past year.
• Among the sited reports, Insider collusion from employees and fraudulent pickup schemes are increasing along side physical breakins.
• A layered risk management framework that covers physical monitoring, digital hygiene, and staff training addresses these risks holistically rather than piecemeal.

Risk 1: Cargo Theft

In the most recent years, criminal groups have begun to use the power of technology to infiltrate and attack this logisitics companies from the inside. Giving criminals powerful insite to what is most profitable to steal. Verisk CargoNet’s 2025 annual analysis found that estimated cargo theft losses across the U.S. and Canada climbed to nearly $725 million, a 60% increase from 2024, even as the overall number of supply chain crime incidents held roughly steady. The average value stolen per theft rose 36% year over year to about $274,000, a sign that criminal groups are choosing higher-value freight rather than opportunistic targets.

Prevention: Real-time video monitoring with live audio intervention allows a trained analyst to catch suspicious activity at a yard, dock, or trailer staging area and respond before a theft is completed, rather than reviewing the loss after the fact. Learn more about how remote video monitoring applies to logistics properties.

Risk 2: Cyber Threats

Cyber threats have become one of the most prevalent tactics that criminals are using to get ahold of cargo, money, and information. A 2026 data health check found that many businesses experienced a breach connected to their supply chain within the past year(s). Cyber incidents involving logistics companies, carriers, and ports also increased by more than 60% in 2025, and industry experts expect that number to nearly double over the next year.

Prevention: Cybersecurity and physical security are often thought of two separate entities to manage, but the two are steadily showing more correlations. If one digital system goes down or becomces vulnerable to a cyber attack, it can also affect the physical as well. A cyber attack against a lock or password system creates a way for crimnals to physically infiltrate the facility.

Risk 3: Insider Threats

Another increasingly scary threat that is showing more relevancy are the insider threats. Meaning someone working on the inside is providing these criminal networks one of the best ways to get inside. Not every loss comes from outside the fence line. Global cargo theft reporting from BSI Consulting and TT Club has repeatedly flagged insider collusion (employees, drivers, or vendors with legitimate access who feed information to outside criminal groups or participate directly) as a persistent factor in loss events, alongside weak internal controls and fragmented accountability.

Prevention: From the beginning employee vetting at hire is essential. Then regular audits on employees, clear separation of duties so that no one has too much control over one system that grants them both cyber and physical sole access, and behavioral monitoring through video analytics help surface insider risk before it results in a loss.

Risk 4: Unauthorized Access

High-traffic logistics sites i.e. warehouses, distribution centers, freight yards are the most difficult to fully secure because of the absolute high number of individuals moving through them daily, both employees and vendors. Inconsistent gate checks, shared credentials, and gaps during shift changes all create windows for unauthorized individuals to enter unnoticed. Fraudulent pickup schemes, where criminals use falsified paperwork or a compromised email account to claim a shipment they aren’t authorized to take, exploit exactly this kind of gap and are becoming harder to distinguish from legitimate activity.

Prevention: Layered access control reduces how many vulnerable access may exist through a location: a couple of good habits to keep on site are, checkpoints beyond just the main gate, verified pickup protocols that don’t rely solely on email authorization, and live monitoring of entry points. AI-integrated cameras can also flag a vehicle or individual lingering in a restricted area for review by a live analyst.

Risk 5: Supply Chain Disruptions

A gap is all that these criminal organizations are looking for. Somone not paying attention at shift hange, no one available or around while the shit chagne is occurring leaving teh area vulnerable for anyone to come and exploit that gap to get exactly what they want. Disruption risk isn’t always the result of a targeted attack. A single incident at a shared port, carrier, or digital platform can ripple across an entire network of businesses that depend on it. Because so many logistics operations run on the same ports, carriers, and shared systems, an outage or security incident in one place can stall shipments, back up inventory, and drive up costs well beyond the company that was directly affected.

Prevention: Diversifying carrier and routing options, maintaining visibility into vendor security practices, and building contingency plans for key checkpoints all reduce how exposed an operation is to a disruption it didn’t cause directly. Staying consistent nd top of new changes or trends you see will help you remain hyper vigilant and help keep the criminals out.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the biggest security risks in logistics right now?

The five most significant risks are cargo theft, cyber threats, insider threats, unauthorized access at physical sites, and broader supply chain disruptions.

How much has cargo theft cost logistics companies recently?

Estimated cargo theft losses across the U.S. and Canada reached nearly $725 million in 2025, a 60% increase from 2024, even though the total number of theft incidents stayed roughly flat. Criminal groups are increasingly targeting higher-value shipments rather than simply increasing the volume of thefts.

How can a logistics company reduce insider threat risk?

Reducing insider risk starts with limiting how much access any one person has to sensitive information or high-value shipments, combined with regular access audits and behavioral monitoring. Vetting employees at hire and re-screening periodically for high-access roles adds another layer of protection against collusion with outside criminal groups.

Does remote video monitoring help with more than just theft prevention?

Yes. Beyond deterring and interrupting theft attempts, live remote monitoring with two-way audio can flag unauthorized individuals at access points, unusual vehicle activity, and other site-level issues in real time, giving logistics operators visibility into risks that go beyond a single theft incident.

Alpha Video Surveillance is a Las Vegas-based remote guarding technology company (PILB License #2274B) delivering live video monitoring, two-way audio talk-downs, and AI-integrated detection for commercial, industrial, and logistics properties. Our team designs monitoring strategies for the realities of high-traffic freight environments, from distribution centers to multi-access logistics yards.

Author: McCall Brown, CEO and co-owner of Alpha Video Surveillance since 2021, has spent more than a decade building security companies and advising commercial and industrial clients on proactive protection strategies. Read McCall’s full bio.

Local signal: Headquartered at 5655 Badura Ave, Suite 160, Las Vegas, NV 89118, Alpha Video Surveillance supports logistics and distribution properties throughout the region.

Build a Logistics Security Strategy That Covers Every Risk

A warehouse with cameras at every gate but no insider vetting policy is still exposed. So is a fleet with tight cyber hygiene but no live monitoring on the yard. Schedule a demo to see how Alpha’s remote guarding technology fits into a broader logistics security strategy.