Black Kite Bridge surpasses 100,000 shared items in first year

Black Kite has reported that Black Kite Bridge has surpassed 100,000 intelligence items shared, marking notable growth and adoption within its first year of operation.

The Black Kite Bridge network consists of a collaborative security intelligence system that connects customers and vendors to respond more efficiently to cyber events affecting supply chains. Since its launch, the network has grown by more than 100% each quarter, building a community of thousands of third-party participants. Spikes in adoption have followed high-profile cyber incidents, highlighting a demand for real-time intelligence sharing during critical moments when risks can cascade through interconnected organisations.

According to Black Kite, organisations using Black Kite Bridge are overcoming long-standing communications challenges in third-party risk management. Traditional processes, often reliant on email and manual spreadsheets, have slowed the flow of vital information. Vendors previously lacked actionable intelligence needed for them to investigate and resolve risks promptly.

The integration of community features, direct collaboration tools, and automation allows users to improve response times. Reported vendor response rates now reach upwards of 85%, and the time taken from the initial discovery of an issue to the sharing of intelligence has been reduced from multiple days to just minutes. Examples of intelligence items shared include vulnerability alerts, Black Kite RSI, recommendations for mitigation, and various improvement guides.

"Black Kite BridgeTM makes it fast and easy to share information with our vendors and partners at scale, while also giving us a clear, documented history of communication and fixes to report to NCUA examiners and our Board of Directors and Supervisory Committee," said Richard Roark, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Bay Federal Credit Union.

"It's far more polished than the old way of emailing and tracking spreadsheets, and we've seen huge improvements in vendor response rates and time to resolution. What really makes it powerful, though, is the network effect - it helps us strengthen relationships with our vendors and partners by sharing intelligence they may not otherwise have access to. When their security improves, so does ours, and so does the security of all their other customers."

Black Kite describes Black Kite Bridge as a solution designed to bridge the gap between cyber risk intelligence and concrete action. The platform automates much of the process, from identifying emerging risks and affected vendors, through the sharing of relevant intelligence, to the tracking of remediation and reporting. The collaborative environment allows clients to invite their suppliers onto a shared platform where all intelligence can be distributed, findings can be tracked, and remedies can be requested.

Key features

The automation capabilities allow organisations to identify vulnerable vendors, draft communications, and circulate intelligence information in a matter of minutes, rather than days. One of the platform's central aims is to eliminate inefficient, repetitive workflows.

Third-party collaboration is streamlined by bringing all intelligence sharing, issue tracking, and communication into one shared platform. Instant access to proprietary intelligence, including Black Kite FocusTags, Black Kite RSI, analytical findings, and reports, enables vendors to respond with greater speed, reducing risk and shortening response times further.

Comprehensive reporting features allow customers to maintain a detailed record of all intelligence shared, vendor communication, progress updates, and outcomes. This supports easier reporting for both internal leadership and external auditors on cyber event responses, assessments, and completed actions.

Black Kite asserts that by facilitating this networked approach, the initiative supports a more resilient cyber security environment for all participating organisations.

"This isn't just about a single company reducing its risk; it's about a shared responsibility that makes the entire ecosystem more resilient and secure," said Chuck Schauber, Chief Product Officer, Black Kite. "The BridgeTM is so much more than a tool for sharing risk intelligence and findings with suppliers, it's about building a community that works together to maximize our collective impact on global risk."

Looking to the future, Black Kite projects that the number of intelligence items shared on Black Kite Bridge will exceed 1.5 million over the next two years, based on current usage metrics and trends observed throughout the platform's first 12 months. The company sees this continued adoption as validation of its focus on using collaborative security networks to enhance cyber resilience across global supply chains.