TMS Security Breach Recovery: The 72-Hour Response Playbook That Saves Your Freight Operations

A transportation management system security breach isn't a matter of if, but when. As ransomware, phishing tactics, and data breaches become increasingly sophisticated, firms must prioritize secure transportation management systems as a fundamental component of safe operations. Recent vulnerabilities like CVE-2025-59735 in AndSoft's e-TMS software, which could allow attackers to take full control of affected systems remotely, demonstrate exactly why you need a proven response playbook ready to execute.

A ransomware attack on a TMS can completely halt operations, preventing shipments, delaying deliveries, and disrupting the entire supply chain. The financial impact can be enormous. But you can minimize damage with structured response phases that keep freight moving while you recover. Here's the 72-hour playbook that works when minutes count.

Hour 0-4: Detection and Initial Response

Your first four hours determine whether you contain a localized incident or face complete operational shutdown. Implementing robust monitoring and detection systems is crucial for identifying and responding to potential security breaches in real-time. Intrusion detection and prevention systems, log analysis, and security information and event management (SIEM) solutions can help identify suspicious activity.

Watch for these TMS breach indicators:

• Unusual API call patterns from carrier integration endpoints
• Unexpected data export requests during off-hours
• Multiple failed authentication attempts across user accounts
• Abnormal database queries targeting customer or shipment records
• Bandwidth spikes on systems handling EDI transactions

Your 30-minute response checklist starts now:

1. Activate incident response team - Page your TMS admin, security lead, operations manager, and IT director
2. Document everything - Screenshots, log entries, timestamps. You'll need this for forensics
3. Isolate affected systems - Disconnect compromised endpoints from your network, but keep one monitored connection for investigation
4. Preserve evidence - Stop automatic log rotations and create system snapshots before they're overwritten
5. Notify stakeholders - Brief your CEO and legal team within the first hour

Major TMS providers like Cargoson, MercuryGate, and Descartes typically offer 24/7/365 incident detection and response systems to monitor environments and ensure proactive detection. Contact your vendor's security team immediately if you're on a hosted platform.

Hour 4-12: Impact Assessment and Stakeholder Communication

Once you've stopped the bleeding, you need to understand how deep the wound goes. TMS contain sensitive data, including customer data such as shipping addresses and contact information, and carrier contracts with confidential pricing and service level agreements.

Map your data exposure systematically:

• Customer records - Which shipper addresses, contact details, and shipping patterns were accessed?
• Carrier information - Were rate agreements, performance metrics, or capacity data compromised?
• Financial data - Check freight invoices, payment terms, and cost structures
• Operational intelligence - Review route optimization data, warehouse locations, and delivery schedules

Your communication protocol matters more than perfect information. Use this template for internal updates:

SECURITY INCIDENT UPDATE - [TIMESTAMP]
Status: [CONTAINED/INVESTIGATING/RECOVERING]
Systems Affected: [TMS modules impacted]
Operations Impact: [Current service disruptions]
Data at Risk: [Preliminary assessment]
Next Update: [Specific time]

Develop an incident response plan that outlines the steps to be taken in the event of a cyber attack, including procedures for notifying relevant stakeholders and authorities. If you're handling GDPR-covered data, you have 72 hours to notify regulators. For CCPA compliance, document everything now because you might need detailed breach reports later.

Hour 12-24: Containment and Evidence Preservation

Now you're playing defense while maintaining business continuity. Isolate the TMS network from other networks to limit the impact of a breach. But isolation doesn't mean complete shutdown.

Your containment strategy depends on your TMS architecture:

Cloud-hosted systems (Oracle TM, SAP TM, Cargoson): Work with your vendor to isolate affected tenants while maintaining API access for critical carrier connections. Document which integrations you're temporarily disabling.

On-premise installations: Configure firewalls to allow only necessary traffic. Create separate network segments for your TMS, allowing essential EDI transactions while blocking broader network access.

Preserve evidence without disrupting recovery:

• Clone affected virtual machines before making changes
• Export database transaction logs for the 48-hour period before detection
• Capture network traffic patterns showing unusual data flows
• Document all administrative actions taken during the incident

Keep freight moving with backup procedures. If your primary TMS is compromised, fall back to:

• Manual carrier communication via phone/email for urgent shipments
• Spreadsheet-based load planning for the next 24-48 hours
• Alternative tracking systems for customer visibility

Hour 24-48: Eradication and System Hardening

You've contained the threat. Now remove it completely and close the security gaps that allowed it in. Timely updates are essential for maintaining security. The process for applying security updates and patches includes frequency and user notification procedures.

Start with credential rotation across all systems:

1. TMS user accounts - Force password resets for all users, starting with administrative accounts
2. API keys and tokens - Regenerate credentials for carrier EDI connections, WMS integrations, and ERP systems
3. Service accounts - Update database connection strings and system-to-system authentication
4. Third-party integrations - Rotate credentials for rate shopping APIs, tracking services, and customs systems

Robust authentication methods enhance security, including multi-factor authentication (MFA), single sign-on (SSO), and role-based access controls (RBAC). Now's the time to implement MFA if you haven't already.

Patch and harden systematically:

• Apply all pending security updates to your TMS platform
• Review and tighten database permissions
• Update firewall rules to block unnecessary ports
• Disable unused TMS modules and integrations
• Review API rate limits and access controls

If you're using integration platforms that connect your TMS to WMS, ERP, and carrier systems, audit each connection. Establish robust vendor management procedures to ensure that third-party vendors and suppliers meet the same cybersecurity standards.

Hour 48-72: Recovery and Operations Restoration

Your systems are clean and hardened. Now bring everything back online in a controlled sequence. The incident response plan should outline steps including containment, investigation, recovery, and communication procedures. Regularly testing and updating this plan helps minimize security incident impact.

Follow this restoration sequence:

1. Core TMS functionality - Load planning, routing, and basic shipment management
2. Internal integrations - WMS connectivity for warehouse operations, ERP sync for order processing
3. Carrier APIs - Restore EDI connections for your top 10 carriers first, then expand
4. Customer-facing systems - Shipment tracking portals and delivery notification services
5. Reporting and analytics - Business intelligence dashboards and performance metrics

Test each restoration phase thoroughly. Run sample shipments through your full process before declaring systems operational. When incidents happen, act quickly with calm, coordinated recovery that keeps loads moving.

Validate these critical functions:

• Rate shopping returns accurate carrier quotes
• Load tenders reach carriers without delays
• Tracking updates flow properly to customers
• Invoice processing connects to your ERP system
• Exception alerts trigger appropriate workflows

Post-Recovery: Lessons Learned and Long-term Improvements

In the event of a security incident, audit trails facilitate forensic investigations by providing a chronological record of events and actions taken within the system. Your incident documentation becomes the foundation for preventing the next attack.

Conduct your post-mortem within one week while details are fresh. Cover:

• Attack vector analysis - How did attackers gain initial access?
• Detection timeline - When did the breach actually start versus when you discovered it?
• Response effectiveness - Which procedures worked well and which need refinement?
• Business impact assessment - Quantify costs including lost productivity, emergency response, and customer impact

Implement these long-term security improvements:

• Regularly scan the TMS and related systems for vulnerabilities
• Train employees on security best practices, including phishing awareness
• Conduct audits to identify vulnerabilities and ensure compliance with security policies
• Regularly back up TMS data and test the recovery process. Ensure backups are stored offline and are immutable

Leading TMS providers including Cargoson, Oracle, and SAP continuously enhance their security posture based on industry threat intelligence. Schedule quarterly security reviews with your vendor to stay current with new protective measures.

Emergency Response Checklist

Print this checklist and keep it accessible to your TMS team:

First 30 minutes:

• □ Activate incident response team
• □ Document initial indicators
• □ Isolate affected systems
• □ Preserve log files and evidence
• □ Notify key stakeholders

Hours 1-4:

• □ Assess data exposure scope
• □ Contact TMS vendor security team
• □ Implement backup operational procedures
• □ Prepare stakeholder communications

Hours 4-24:

• □ Complete impact assessment
• □ Notify regulators if required
• □ Implement containment measures
• □ Begin evidence collection

Recovery phase:

• □ Rotate all system credentials
• □ Apply security patches
• □ Test system restoration
• □ Validate operational functions
• □ Document lessons learned

You can't prevent every attack, but you can minimize the damage through systematic response. As cybersecurity threats escalate, a secure TMS platform is crucial for responding to and conquering evolving challenges. Practice this playbook with tabletop exercises before you need it in production. Your freight operations depend on how well you execute when those first alerts start firing.