In World War II, "island hopping" was the successful American strategy of avoiding Japanese strongpoints by attacking more vulnerable outposts. Today, cyber criminals use "island hopping" to attacks organizations through vulnerable third parties.
In a world where everyone is connected online, anyone with access to an organization's network - contractors, suppliers, business partners, customers or remote employees - is a back door for criminals to exploit. Your organization's cyber security is only as good as their cyber security. To address this threat, security firm Halock recommends getting advice from a security consultant on how to vet your third parties.