Connectus launches Supply Guard to close UK businesses’ biggest cyber blind spot: the supply chain

NCSC-aligned platform replaces spreadsheets and email chains with automated supplier risk assessment and real-time alerts

Connectus Business Solutions Limited, the Doncaster-headquartered managed IT and technology services provider, has launched Supply Guard, a new platform that gives businesses continuous visibility of supplier security risk.

Aligned to National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) guidance, Supply Guard replaces the manual processes many organisations still rely on: spreadsheets, email-based questionnaires and siloed risk tracking. It centralises supplier risk data, certifications and communications, automates security questionnaires, and delivers continuous monitoring so emerging risks surface in real time rather than after the fact.

Supply chain security has become one of the most pressing issues facing UK businesses, as high-profile breaches originating with third-party suppliers continue to expose customers, partners and their data. Supply Guard is designed to give organisations, and the partners who support them, ongoing visibility of that risk rather than a point-in-time snapshot.

Key capabilities include:

• Automated supplier onboarding, assessments and follow-ups
• Supplier risk scoring to assess and prioritise exposure
• Continuous monitoring of supplier security posture
• Real-time alerts for breaches, incidents and changes in security status
• Compliance and certification tracking, including ISO 27001, SOC 2 and GDPR
• Reporting dashboards giving stakeholders clear, actionable insight
• A supplier-facing portal where suppliers manage their own profile, upload certifications and respond to multiple customers
• Visibility of interconnected and downstream supplier risk across a customer’s supply chain

For Connectus, Supply Guard opens a new managed service line for businesses across the North West, Yorkshire, North Lincolnshire and North Wales. It strengthens client relationships through continuous risk visibility and proactive remediation, while surfacing security gaps early in prospect conversations.

“Supply chain risk is no longer a niche concern; it’s one of the biggest blind spots we see when we sit down with clients,” said Roy Shelton, CEO of Connectus. “Most businesses still manage supplier risk through spreadsheets and email trails that go out of date the moment they’re sent. Supply Guard lets us give our clients continuous, real-time visibility of that risk instead, and it’s exactly the kind of proactive, security-first service our local teams are built to deliver.”

Connectus has grown through acquisition over the past five years, including in Wrexham and Grimsby, while retaining the local teams and relationships in each region it serves rather than centralising support into a single national call centre. The launch builds on the company’s continued investment in strengthening its security proposition for clients, reflecting its broader positioning as a security-first managed service provider.

Supply Guard is available now to Connectus clients and channel partners across the North West of England, Greater Manchester, Yorkshire, North Lincolnshire, North Wales and Shropshire.

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