By Mr. Ajay Trehan, Founder & CEO, AuthBridge

“2025 has been a wake-up call for enterprises worldwide. A series of security events underscored a simple but critical reality: as digital ecosystems become more interconnected, risks increasingly originate not within the enterprise, but across the broader network of partners, platforms and service providers that enable day-to-day operations. Rather than signalling systemic failure, these incidents revealed the inherent complexity of modern supply chains and the urgent need to evolve oversight frameworks to keep pace with technological progress. The lesson is clear: due diligence can no longer be a one-time exercise. Trust must be continuously verified.

This year also marked the point where regulation and global digital infrastructure truly converged. With the DPDP Act and similar global frameworks placing explicit accountability on enterprises for breaches caused by their vendors and data processors, third-party due diligence has shifted from a best practice to a regulatory and strategic imperative. As nations tighten data laws and assert digital sovereignty, enterprises must ensure that every partner in their ecosystem meets security, compliance and data governance expectations, not just locally, but across borders.

We are entering an era where trust will determine competitive advantage. Identity security, transparent vendor ecosystems and AI-driven continuous monitoring will shape how digital economies function. At AuthBridge, we are seeing CISOs and business leaders accelerate toward zero-trust vendor architectures where every entity, be it human, organisational or machine, is verified, monitored and reassessed throughout the relationship lifecycle.

Going into 2026, enterprises that can rapidly validate vendor credibility, anticipate risks and maintain resilient, compliant supply chains will not only reduce breach exposure but also secure the trust required to participate in global digital trade. The ability to build secure, verified and interoperable vendor ecosystems will define leadership in the next phase of digital transformation.”