{"id":183682,"date":"2026-02-02T03:49:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-02T08:49:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/testing.news-you-need.com\/index.php\/2026\/02\/02\/manufacturing-cyber-security-guide\/"},"modified":"2026-02-02T04:25:09","modified_gmt":"2026-02-02T09:25:09","slug":"manufacturing-cyber-security-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/testing.news-you-need.com\/index.php\/2026\/02\/02\/manufacturing-cyber-security-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Manufacturing cyber security guide"},"content":{"rendered":"

Manufacturing cyber security guide<\/a><\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.themanufacturer.com\/articles\/manufacturing-cyber-security-guide\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Publish Date: 2026-02-02 03:49:00<\/a><\/p>\n

Source Domain: www.themanufacturer.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Author: <\/a><\/p>\n

Using an unordered list, summarize the following article with between 4 and 8 key points. <\/p>\n

Protecting your factory floor from digital threats has never been more important, as\u00a0 last years high-profile breach at Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has showed.\u00a0In this practical guide, Molly Cooper explains the essential steps manufacturers can take to strengthen their cyber security, safeguard\u00a0operations\u00a0and keep production moving.\u00a0
\nWhy cyber security is now the top priority for modern manufacturers
\nCyber security is the practice of protecting systems,\u00a0networks\u00a0and programs from digital attacks.\u00a0
\nThese\u00a0cyber attacks\u00a0are usually aimed at accessing,\u00a0changing\u00a0or destroying sensitive information; extorting money from users through ransomware; or interrupting normal business processes.\u00a0
\nWithin\u00a0manufacturing\u00a0there are unique elements that are present such as manufacturing\u00a0and production\u00a0processes, operational\u00a0technology\u00a0and critical national infrastructure to also protect.\u00a0
\nTypically, production processes\u00a0run on\u00a0a separate network to corporate operations, but the concerns they have should be the same as many other businesses.\u00a0
\nAttackers are not always looking for specific\u00a0manufacturers,\u00a0they are looking for the most vulnerable.\u00a0
\nThe evolving threat landscape: why factories are the new top target
\nOnce upon a time, cyber security was not an issue for manufacturers. Many older and more traditional industries were not connected via online systems; they were\u00a0human operated\u00a0machines, with on and off buttons. There was a far greater reliance on mechanical and analogue systems than digital or\u00a0software driven\u00a0processes.\u00a0Now\u00a0however, cyber criminals have cottoned on to the fact that manufacturers are increasingly digitising their operations and as such, have a plethora of avenues to access and potentially exploit.\u00a0
\nNot only that, but the landscape of\u00a0cyber attacks\u00a0has also evolved. Years ago, hackers would target large financial institutions and government agencies, but now ransomware, phishing emails and supply chain attacks are far more common within manufacturing. In the last few years financial services firms have invested heavily in cyber security and are now very well protected in comparison to manufacturing, which has typically not been as tuned in to the risks and dangers and as such, is now the most targeted sector for cyber criminals.\u00a0
\nThese ne\u2019er do wells also have more financial incentives than ever before, with many criminals choosing this type of activity for this reason. Ransom amounts and extortion prices from the threat of selling stolen data are a few of the methods in which criminals can financially gain from the attacks.\u00a0Cyber crime\u00a0also knows no boundaries; it can take place anywhere in the world, from anywhere in the world \u2013 meaning investigations and prosecution can be extremely difficult for law enforcement to implement. Cyber criminals now have the advantage, as it is easier to attack than defend.\u00a0
\nCyber security has flown under the radar for manufacturers for many years. The absence of a need for cyber security in\u00a0previous\u00a0generations has resulted in a lack of awareness around the topic, and therefore, there has been a dearth of investment in that area. Related to the growing skills gap within manufacturing, many firms do not have the necessary cyber security\u00a0expertise\u00a0and experience in-house to get the business up to speed on the current landscape.\u00a0
\nYet, even with protection, the ways in which attacks are evolving means that manufacturers are often trying to hit a moving target. It is unrealistic to assume that your operations are impenetrable, so\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0about having a robust response plan and knowing the steps that you can take to make sure you can recover as quickly as possible.\u00a0
\nUnderstanding ransomware: what cyber criminals want from your business
\nManufacturers have employee,\u00a0customer\u00a0and operational data that they need to protect, but often the question is, how?\u00a0
\nHackers are looking for any compromise in a business system to then hold it to ransom. This is called ransomware and is the most popular kind of attack on manufacturing businesses in the current climate. This can cause manufacturing processes to shut down and cost businesses millions of pounds per day, or in some cases per hour. The hacker\u2019s aim is to push the business into a corner where they will have no other option but to respond and pay the ransom to\u00a0ultimately save\u00a0the company.\u00a0
\nSo how do we stop this from happening? Companies need to ensure that there is no compromise to be found in the\u00a0beginning\u00a0and they can do this with correct cyber prevention techniques. When it comes to cyber security, prevention is better than a cure. By ensuring all your windows and doors are closed, you leave no route for hackers to get\u00a0in to\u00a0your\u00a0business\u00a0and the chances of a company\u2019s data being breached becomes much\u00a0less.\u00a0
\nVulnerabilities in servers and technology are still the most harmful aspect of\u00a0cyber attacks. On the market there are many intelligent technologies and solutions available,\u00a0plus\u00a0post-incident support and forensics for businesses to implement which can provide notifications\u00a0if and when\u00a0an attack occurs and help find the cause. However, most businesses could spend less on preventative methods to stop the attack happening in the first place.\u00a0
\nCyber security experts stress that nothing is\u00a0fool-proof\u00a0when it comes to cyber security solutions. A prime example is banks who spend tens of thousands of pounds each year on cyber security\u00a0systems\u00a0and still we read stories in the news of breaches.\u00a0
\nHowever, a manufacturing company\u00a0that\u00a0only performs the basics to keep its systems patched is more likely to be targeted than those who are using prevention techniques and competent\u00a0response systems.\u00a0
\nCritical cyber threats: from phishing to IT\/OT convergence
\nRansomware and insider threats<\/p>\n

Ransomware\u00a0is a type of malware and continues to be the biggest threat to businesses right now. It can also be very random in terms of who it lands on and impacts. According to a World Economic Forum report published in April,\u00a0cyber attacks\u00a0on the manufacturing sector accounted for more than one quarter (26%) of all attacks worldwide, with ransomware\u00a0comprising\u00a071% of these. In 2023 alone, the number of\u00a0ransomware attacks on industrial infrastructure doubled, posing a significant threat to supply chain and manufacturing operations.\u00a0<\/p>\n

However, sometimes it does have a targeted element\u00a0to\u00a0it. For a hacker, ransomware can assess 20 manufacturers, for example, to see which can be compromised\u00a0mostly easily. Once the attack has been set in motion, the hacker will begin to ask the company for money to stop the attack and in some cases, companies will pay to prevent any further loss of money and production time, and damage to their brand through exposure of the attack.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The insider threat\u00a0is always something to be aware of. People are a company\u2019s biggest asset\u00a0however,\u00a0there have been cases of disgruntled ex-employees or fraudulent activities where businesses have been compromised from the inside.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In most cases, the person in question is usually ignorant of the fact that they have allowed a threat to penetrate their company\u2019s systems. This often occurs through an attack called phishing. Phishing is when attackers send emails or messages that\u00a0contain\u00a0malicious links to websites. These websites can\u00a0contain\u00a0malware and\u00a0sabotage\u00a0a company\u2019s systems. Traditionally, there were tell-tale signs that an individual or business could watch out for which would give a phishing email away. Nowadays, however, these emails have increased in sophistication and are becoming\u00a0more and more\u00a0difficult to spot.\u00a0
\nThey can create the impression of being sent from a colleague by using a subtly different email address or relevant\u00a0messaging. When an attack occurs from a phishing email, this is often due to a lack of personnel training. Employees who work within IT are usually well versed in cyber security, but OT employees may prioritise operational efficiency over security. Regular training against the latest attack vectors can instill a safer cyber culture\u00a0\u2013\u00a0remember,\u00a0a business is only as strong as its weakest link.\u00a0
\nMalware: viruses, worms and trojans<\/p>\n

Viruses,\u00a0worms\u00a0and trojans\u00a0are also types of\u00a0malware\u00a0and are typically designed to disrupt,\u00a0damage\u00a0or gain unauthorised access to a computer system. The aim of any malware is to hold the user\/s\u00a0to\u00a0ransom so their business can continue, to prevent a data leak or to stop other detrimental incidents from occurring.\u00a0<\/p>\n

A\u00a0virus\u00a0attaches itself to other programs or files when implemented. The virus can also\u00a0write its own code, thus spreading infections as it moves through the system. A virus can exist on a computer but cannot infect it unless it is opened or allowed to run. It is the user of the computer\u00a0than\u00a0continues the spread of the virus by sharing infected files or sending emails.\u00a0
\nA\u00a0worm\u00a0can spread from computer to computer and has the capability to travel without attaching itself to a program first. They typically spread through the internet or LAN connections. The danger of a worm lies in its ability to replicate itself on a system. Instead of just one worm being sent from a computer, it can generate hundreds or even thousands of copies, leading to a massive and destructive impact.\u00a0
\nA\u00a0trojan\u00a0horse is a type of malware that misleads\u00a0users of its intent. It appears as a genuine application or software program but\u00a0instead\u00a0is destructive. Although it\u00a0is not able to\u00a0replicate\u00a0itself\u00a0it does allow entry to a computer for other malicious users and programs to enter a system.\u00a0
\nDoS and DDoS attacks<\/p>\n

Spyware\u00a0is designed to enter a user\u2019s computer, gather data from the\u00a0device\u00a0and\u00a0sell\u00a0it\u00a0to third parties without the user\u2019s consent. The information stolen can be sold to advertisers or other cyber criminals to be used as leverage for ransom.\u00a0
\n\u00a0Denial-of-service (DoS)\u00a0attacks overwhelm a server with excessive traffic,\u00a0rendering\u00a0a website or resource inaccessible to users. A more advanced form of this attack, known as a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack, disrupts normal traffic to a server,\u00a0service\u00a0or network by flooding it with traffic from multiple compromised systems. Unlike a standard DoS attack, DDoS\u00a0leverages\u00a0numerous\u00a0infected devices to amplify its impact. Its aim is to\u00a0render\u00a0the site or server unusable or take it offline completely.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Even though these are the biggest threats facing businesses, there are also common flaws right now inside businesses that are acting as gateways to attackers.\u00a0
\nThe risks of IT\/OT convergence and supply chain weakness
\nIT and OT vulnerabilities are rising due to the acceleration of convergence between operational technology (OT) and information technology (IT) in global manufacturing firms. This expands the surface that can be attacked. Whereas traditionally, business networks, emails and cloud storage were separated from industrial control systems, now, with digital transformation, these often have gateways to one another through remote access,\u00a0allowing hackers into all systems.\u00a0
\nSupply chains\u00a0can sometimes be\u00a0a company\u2019s\u00a0weakest link. A single compromised supplier can introduce malware into a manufacturer\u2019s network. Attackers may exploit third-party software or hardware components used in production.\u00a0
\nBusinesses need to be looking at who they are working with and how secure their systems are. No one entity has ownership over the whole supply chain \u2013\u00a0despite the fact that\u00a0it is intrinsically connected \u2013 and as such, responsibility for cyber security up and down the supply chain is\u00a0distinctly opaque. Businesses need to understand their footprint; even though another supplier may\u00a0be responsible for\u00a0an attack, a different business may well be held accountable.\u00a0
\nCyber resilience strategies: prevention, detection and insurance
\nPreventative methods\/ penetrative testing:\u00a0This is a security exercise where a company hires cyber security experts to\u00a0attempt\u00a0to find and exploit vulnerabilities in their cyber\u00a0systems,\u00a0this is also known as\u00a0ethical hacking. After a penetrative test, the ethical hacker will share their findings with the\u00a0target\u2019s\u00a0security team and make them aware of any weak spots before an attacker does. They will then\u00a0take action to repair\u00a0them.\u00a0
\nFor some experts, this is seen as the best form of cyber security a business can have and is the best way to be proactive in your business. It strengthens cyber resilience while helping to\u00a0identify\u00a0flaws within your system in a safe way.\u00a0
\nAutomated threat detection and response systems:\u00a0The main goal of these systems is to minimise the duration in which a threat is in a company\u2019s systems before being detected, as well as enabling organisations to\u00a0identify\u00a0and respond to them as they occur. The system will\u00a0immediately\u00a0notify the security team, and a decision can then be taken on whether or how to respond, or an automated, targeted response will be deployed.\u00a0
\nReal-time threat detection includes continuous monitoring, automated alerts, integration with security tools, AI and machine\u00a0learning\u00a0and incident response.\u00a0
\nFor\u00a0manufacturers\u00a0these systems can minimise downtime due to rapid detection and prevent production halts, enhance security protecting critical assets, aid regulatory\u00a0compliance\u00a0and reduce the burden on internal security and IT teams. However, this is only triggered when an attack or suspected attack is\/or has occurred. Outside of an attack, the software works in the background searching for\u00a0threats, and\u00a0does not test your systems or improve the existing security.\u00a0
\nCyber security insurance:\u00a0Also known as cyber liability insurance, it protects businesses from financial losses resulting from\u00a0cyber attacks\u00a0such as ransomware and data breaches. In brief, there are two types of cyber insurance\u00a0coverage\u00a0and it is important to discuss with an insurer which would best suit your company\u2019s needs.\u00a0
\nFirst-party cyber coverage\u00a0covers legal counsel, recovery and replacement of stolen data, loss of income due to business interruption, crisis management and PR, cyber extortion and fraud, service to investigate breach and fines related to incidents.\u00a0
\nThird-party cyber coverage\u00a0covers liability if a third-party brings claims against you. This could be an entity within your supply chain or partner. This cyber coverage covers the legal\u00a0defence\u00a0of the suit and costs of the settlement. This covers affected payments to consumers, claims, settlements from lawsuits, copyright or trademark infringement and accounting costs.\u00a0
\nCyber security insurance works best in conjunction with other cyber security\u00a0protection. If a business can prove that they have other measures in place and are continuously testing their systems, as well as addressing and\u00a0identifying\u00a0vulnerabilities, it can result in lower insurance costs.\u00a0
\nThe business case for security: reducing downtime and protecting IP
\nLess downtime:\u00a0When machines are off, businesses lose money. A\u00a0cyber attack\u00a0can place machines out of\u00a0action\u00a0causing a halt in production. If products are not being made, customers can become agitated and may begin to look elsewhere for what they need. This also causes reduced productivity and loss of profits. If preventive measures are in\u00a0place\u00a0a company can stop an attack before it happens or know how to recover if it does.\u00a0
\nSecure intellectual property:\u00a0Intellectual property is often of huge importance to manufacturers. Once your system has been infiltrated, intellectual property is breached and can be shared.\u00a0Maintaining\u00a0system integrity is crucial to ensuring that processes\u00a0remain\u00a0protected. By securing intellectual property, manufacturers can safeguard their research and\u00a0development\u00a0investments, and\u00a0maintain trust with partners and customers without fear of compromise.\u00a0
\nBrand loyalty and customer satisfaction:\u00a0It is never an easy conversation to tell your customer base that your database has been\u00a0hacked\u00a0and the production line has been halted. Not only that, but for large corporations there is the possibility that a security breach could make local or national news, portraying the company as unsecure, incompetent and an easy target. Customer trust and respect\u00a0is\u00a0vital for a thriving and growing business.\u00a0
\nLower recovery costs:\u00a0No\u00a0cyber attack\u00a0protection is\u00a0fool-proof\u00a0but implementing prevention technologies can\u00a0greatly reduce\u00a0the risk of being attacked.\u00a0
\nCompanies do not need to spend millions of pounds on intrusion detection systems even though the market is full of disaster recovery and incident response providers. Operationally, manufacturers need to prevent incidents before they happen to protect themselves from fines and loss of business.\u00a0
\nAny business will struggle to justify a large spend on something that has never \u2013 or may never \u2013 happen. Many would prefer to invest in new projects or marketing campaigns. However, the cost of prevention measures will be far cheaper than the cost of getting a business back on its feet following a cyber attack\u00a0
\nCase studies: lessons from high-profile industrial cyber attacks
\nAll this is by no means theoretical. Manufacturers have been attacked all over the\u00a0world, and\u00a0will continue to be targeted as they become more connected. Manufacturers will always be prime targets due to their new reliance on interconnected systems spanning multiple locations, the valuable intellectual properties they\u00a0own\u00a0and the high-value data they store. Here are some examples of attacks that have occurred in the sector during the last ten years.\u00a0
\nReckitt Benckiser Group\u00a0
\nIn 2017, consumer goods company Reckitt Benckiser Group were the\u00a0victim\u00a0of ransomware, Goldeneye. The company faced a major loss\u00a0to\u00a0revenue (estimated $117m) after the attack affected production at factories and distribution across sites.\u00a0
\nThe\u00a0initial\u00a0infection vector that triggered Goldeneye was a compromised update in tax software\u00a0MeDOC\u00a0used by\u00a0a number of\u00a0institutions in Ukraine. The attack was\u00a0contained\u00a0soon after working with IT teams.\u00a0
\nVolkswagen Group\u00a0
\nBetween 2010-2015, Volkswagen Group\u00a0were\u00a0an ongoing target for data theft. Over the course of a few years, hackers breached the company\u2019s systems and stole at least 19,000 documents concerning gasoline engines, transmission development, fuel\u00a0cells\u00a0and electric vehicle initiatives.\u00a0
\nIt is reported that hackers began analysing Volkswagen\u2019s IT network in 2010, looking for vulnerabilities, and had succeeded in entering the company\u2019s systems just a year later.\u00a0
\nOver the course of the next four\u00a0years\u00a0many data leaks were reported. When investigated, IT experts managed to recover files that the hackers had sent to their own servers and\u00a0subsequently\u00a0deleted. Therefore, it was discovered just how many documents had been stolen. Volkswagen only acknowledged that the breach took place in 2024.\u00a0
\nDole Foods\u00a0
\nIn February 2023, Dole Foods, an agricultural multinational corporation and one of the largest producers of fruit and vegetables worldwide, suffered a ransomware attack.\u00a0
\nThe attack resulted in the shutdown of North American operations to\u00a0contain\u00a0the spread of employee information, which was estimated at 3,885 profiles stolen. The hackers accessed names, addresses, driver license numbers, passport numbers, dates of\u00a0birth\u00a0and phone numbers. It impacted half of the company\u2019s legacy computer servers and one quarter of its end-user computers.\u00a0
\nIt incurred $5.7m in costs related to the attack. Third-party cyber security experts helped to investigate and aid in the recovery from the attack.\u00a0
\nThyssenKrupp\u00a0
\nIn February 2024, German industrial engineering and steel production multinational conglomerate, ThyssenKrupp, headquartered in Essen, Germany, had its production shut down. A ransomware\u00a0attack\u00a0targeted ThyssenKrupp\u2019s Automotive Body Solutions unit but was stopped early due to the swift detection of malicious activity.\u00a0
\nAs a precautionary measure in the company\u2019s cyber incident response, systems were shut down to block unauthorised access and prevent the potential spread of ransomware.\u00a0
\nJaguar Land Rover\u00a0\u00a0
\nIn early September 2025, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), owned by Tata Motors, suffered a major\u00a0cyber\u00a0attack\u00a0which\u00a0forced the company to shut down its systems and pause vehicle production across the UK, China, Slovakia, and India to\u00a0contain\u00a0the breach.\u00a0\u00a0
\nThe attack, attributed to a hacker or group,\u00a0triggered a production shutdown lasting more than three weeks and halted output of\u00a0roughly 1,000\u00a0vehicles per day. Reported losses reached \u00a350m\u00a0to \u00a372m\u00a0weekly, with emerging estimates of over \u00a31bn in revenue impact.\u00a0\u00a0
\nJLR confirmed that \u201csome data\u201d was affected, though there was no evidence of customer data theft, and has engaged third-party cybersecurity experts and government agencies to investigate and restore operations.\u00a0
\nScaling security: cyber protection for SMEs vs. large enterprises
\nThe best solutions are not always the most expensive, but when it comes to cyber security, some businesses believe the more you\u00a0pay\u00a0the more protection you get. However, cyber security is not a one-size-fits-all solution.\u00a0
\nLarge enterprises typically face more complex challenges requiring bigger, scalable solutions and frameworks to work against. Often, they will spend millions on a solution, a consultancy to implement and manage\u00a0it\u00a0and another system that logs all activity and continuously searches the network for threats and signs of compromise. This is all\u00a0very useful\u00a0and can be a great asset to large businesses when questioning an IP\u00a0address\u00a0they\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0recognise or unwanted communication with a system in another country.\u00a0
\nSmall businesses cannot always afford to spend that much on threat intelligence\u00a0systems\u00a0however. But there are ways they can use what money they do have wisely. Supply chains and systems can be smaller and\u00a0wider\u00a0global issues not as relevant. Their focus is securing their network, and this can be done through continuous prevention testing with automation.\u00a0
\nAlthough AI and machine learning do play a role for the bad guys, it can also play a virtuous role for businesses too. Cyber security companies can implement automated\u00a0defences, meaning that systems can be tested without any manual intervention from the provider or business. In turn, costs can be reduced, and businesses will only spend when prevention testing finds an issue that needs investigating.\u00a0
\nSmaller businesses tend to be smarter with their money because they\u00a0have to, while larger corporations can easily splash on the \u2018complete\u2019 system, even if it\u00a0isn\u2019t. Preventative testing can cost pennies in comparison, and no matter how big or small a business, prevention is always better than cure.\u00a0
\nAvoid these common pitfalls: shadow IT and lack of strategy
\nThe most common mistake that manufacturers make is not understanding what risks they are exposed to. Cyber security is often a blind spot for those in the industrial space (as\u00a0evidenced\u00a0by the low volume of manufacturers that are considering it a priority). And with the growing convergence between IT and OT, those risks are only going to increase. However, for the most part, businesses are forgetting to protect themselves from\u00a0digital attacks.\u00a0
\nCurrently most companies do not have any strategies in place and even though they may know how to react in an attack, they do not know how to recover. This suggests many would just pay the ransom to get things up and running again, but what about the losses?\u00a0
\nMany manufacturing businesses will have shadow IT, in other words, assets in their technology landscape that have been forgotten about. An example of this is a server or cloud storage being created for a project for a dedicated\u00a0timeframe\u00a0and then never used again;\u00a0or, if\u00a0the owner of that cloud storage leaves the\u00a0company\u00a0and the login is no longer in use. Assets such as these can be easily compromised, providing a route into a business\u2019 system that they\u00a0weren\u2019t\u00a0even aware of. This is an area of risk.\u00a0
\nUnderstanding these areas is key because businesses can then\u00a0allocate\u00a0budget into the most vulnerable sections of the business. In this case, it could be employee training. It is unrealistic to assume everyone has good cyber security awareness and with some employees, the workplace could be the only environment where they use technology. Not everyone is an\u00a0expert\u00a0and anyone can fall for a phishing email, especially at a time when they are becoming more convincing than ever.\u00a0That\u2019s\u00a0not to say that areas of attack\u00a0have to\u00a0be overly sophisticated. Something as simple as poor password management can open the door to malicious actors.\u00a0
\nShifting the mindset: treating digital security like physical factory safety
\nRecent research by\u00a0Omdia\u00a0found that\u00a0cyber attacks\u00a0are on the increase in manufacturing with 80% of firms experiencing a significant increase in overall security incidents or breaches last year. Yet still, many manufacturing businesses have admitted that the cost of cyber security systems is prohibitive \u2013 especially for something that\u00a0isn\u2019t\u00a0going to be a revenue generator; why would it be a priority if it\u00a0doesn\u2019t\u00a0make money for the business?\u00a0
\nAnd\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0wrong to assume that because a business\u00a0doesn\u2019t\u00a0manufacture any sensitive materials, it must be safe from hackers.\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0true that some attackers focus on potentially lucrative sectors with sensitive information such as\u00a0defence,\u00a0oil\u00a0and gas, for example. However, if a manufacturer (or any business) makes revenue, this can work as leverage for a hacker who knows they can stop that business from making money and hold a ransom cost over its head.\u00a0
\nA common anecdote is that while CEOs and CISOs (Chief Information Security Officers) are concerned over cyber security issues, they struggle to get boards to invest in them. But often, when presented with a real-world analogy, they begin to look at things differently.\u00a0
\nAlarms and security cameras will of course be installed around the perimeter of a factory. And employees are trained to only use their own passes or security codes for doors. They are instructed not to let anyone freely enter the building and make sure they ask for ID when they do. Proper and secure lockdown of the facility is ensured each night by closing and locking all doors and windows. This makes it difficult for anyone to enter without permission.\u00a0
\nIn short, manufacturers tend to have their houses in order when it comes to security and IP in the physical world,\u00a0so\u00a0why would the same approach not be applied to IT systems? Why leave cyber doors open for hackers to enter and steal the company\u2019s\u00a0data.\u00a0Businesses\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0wait to be burgled before setting up physical security systems, so why wait until a breach to install cyber resilience?\u00a0
\nDon\u2019t\u00a0leave visible vulnerabilities in technology and create an easy target to exploit.\u00a0
\nImplementation checklist: three steps to strengthen your cyber defences
\nAs a\u00a0manufacturer\u00a0it can be difficult to implement cyber security systems due to the complexity of integrating security into existing legacy systems that were not designed with cyber threats in mind. Not only\u00a0that\u00a0but manufacturing operations\u00a0can\u2019t\u00a0just cease while any remedial work is carried\u00a0out\u00a0so any cyber security measures will usually have to be implemented while operations are still running. And issues such as the skills gap among employees, budget constraints, resistance to change and uncertainty about where to start, are further complicating the process, making it difficult for manufacturers to take the first steps toward a robust cyber security strategy.\u00a0
\nHowever, it is something that must be\u00a0done\u00a0and there are some steps to be taken to help.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Risk assessment:\u00a0The risk assessment of what you want to do, what\u00a0impact\u00a0it will\u00a0have\u00a0and if it is the right thing to do. Is this the place where you should start? These are all questions which need to be answered before implementation. It also allows the right systems to be prioritised as well as avoiding wasted resources with over-engineering and under-securing.\u00a0<\/p>\n

What\u2019s\u00a0already in place?\u00a0Businesses must find out\u00a0what\u2019s\u00a0already in place\u00a0with\u00a0regards\u00a0to cyber security. This evaluation prevents businesses from \u2018reinventing the wheel\u2019 and allows them to\u00a0leverage\u00a0and strengthen what they already have rather than\u00a0starting from scratch. Some systems may only need updating or\u00a0additional\u00a0monitoring which could drastically increase protection without unnecessary spending or a full overhaul.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Test run:\u00a0Manufacturers must test their systems and not wait for an attack before seeing how they work. Cyber security companies can mimic an attack and then work with manufacturers and their defensive teams to look at how the\u00a0business\u00a0and its systems respond when\u00a0bad things\u00a0happen. This ensures that you have worked through each step of the process, so if something happens in the real world, you are\u00a0practiced\u00a0and prepared. You will know any areas you need to\u00a0improve on\u00a0and have a timeline of recovery in case of future attacks.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Thanks to:\u00a0Darren Anderson, UK Director, Osec\u00a0
\nDarren Anderson leads UK operations at OSEC, an offensive security firm\u00a0specialising\u00a0in penetration testing and\u00a0breach\u00a0simulation. With years at Dell SecureWorks and NCC Group, he has extensive cyber security experience, covering ethical hacking, compliance, and risk management. He\u00a0advocates for\u00a0proactive security, emphasising continuous testing through OSEC\u2019s Incenter platform to prevent breaches before they happen.\u00a0<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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