In the previous article, we looked at why the Manufacturing sector is such a lucrative target for cybercriminals and what factors increase the risk of cyberattacks for this industry.
In this article, we'll look at the key threats specific to the Manufacturing sector and how to strengthen its defenses.
Key threats to manufacturing
The first step in mitigating cyber risk for Manufacturing is to understand the main types of threats that this industry is most exposed to:
- Ransomware and Cyber Extortion: Ransomware is currently the top cyber threat. The goal of cyber criminals is to lock down systems by encrypting the victim's critical systems and data, and then cause production delays and financial losses to the company, making their ransom demand more likely to be met.
- Intellectual property theft: Manufacturers invest heavily in research and development, and criminals who know this are targeting valuable intellectual property, sensitive data, design information, and manufacturing processes.
- Attacks to/from the supply chain: Supply chains can introduce malware, vulnerabilities, or compromised components into production processes, disrupting operations, or an attack can spread to their supply chain organizations, causing legal, economic, and reputational damage.
- Employee or contractor negligence: Employees who are unaware of current cyber risks and threats, or who are inadequately trained in the company's cybersecurity practices, can inadvertently facilitate the success of cyber attacks. The unpreparedness of the human factor is an absolutely critical element that is widely exploited by criminals.
How to Improve Cyber Security in Manufacturing
A multidisciplinary approach is needed to improve the industry's defense strategies and effectively counter the growing cybercrime attacks.
This approach may include:
- Properly assess Cyber Risks: The risk assessment process must include the identification of vulnerabilities, the evaluation of potential risks to both production and business operations, particularly in the event of a cyber attack, and a clear assessment of the value of the company's assets (data, processes, and critical systems).
- Implement robust Cybersecurity measures: Investing in appropriate cybersecurity infrastructure and processes is an imperative at this point. At the same time, it is necessary to establish and strengthen security policies that address access control, data and system protection, and cyber incident response, taking into account the fact that time is the most important damage multiplier in these contexts.
- Security by Design: Designing with cybersecurity in mind is a less time-consuming and costly process than implementing solutions after the fact, and is more effective.
- Don't forget the Supply Chain: Even if the company's security measures are adequate, the supply chain can prove to be an entry point for cyber threats. Assessing and improving the cybersecurity practices of suppliers and partners reduces the risk of supply chain vulnerabilities being introduced into the organization. Legal and contractual issues should also be properly addressed to mitigate residual risks.
- Employee training and awareness: It is necessary to provide regular training and awareness to employees and contractors to educate them on the importance of cybersecurity and how to identify and respond to cyber threats within company policies.
- Stay informed about threats: Staying on top of evolving threats and trends in cybersecurity is a huge advantage when it comes to optimizing your cybersecurity strategy. Subscribing to threat intelligence feeds and collaborating with industry peers to share information about emerging threats and the most appropriate security measures are helpful in this regard.
Conclusions
As our recent cyber attack data shows, the manufacturing sector has become an easy and profitable target for cybercrime.
The only solution to strengthen the cyber defenses of this sector is to increase its resilience, making it less attractive and more prepared for malicious activities, as has already been done in other more mature sectors such as banking.
In light of current trends, it is advisable to address and manage these risks as soon as possible.
Stay Cyber Safe!
