Category: Blog
For years, manufacturing was considered a low-risk target in the cyber threat landscape. But that perception has changed, and quickly. In 2024, manufacturing was the most attacked industry globally, according to IBM’s X-Force Threat Intelligence Index, accounting for more than 25% of all cyber incidents analyzed in their report.
Unlike financial institutions or healthcare providers, manufacturers don’t hold vast stores of sensitive personal data. But they rely on continuous uptime to meet production targets, fulfill contracts, and avoid costly delays. This makes them attractive targets for ransomware and extortion attacks. Attackers know that even short disruptions can cost millions, and manufacturers operating on tight margins are under pressure to restore operations fast, even if that means paying up.
An Expanding Attack Surface, and Limited Room to Respond
Modern manufacturing environments are confronted with a complex array of cyber risks. Many facilities still depend on legacy operational technology (OT) systems that were never designed to face today’s threat landscape. These systems often run outdated operating systems, lack encryption or authentication, and in many cases can’t be patched at all. Replacements are costly, so manufacturers are often stuck with vulnerable equipment. This gives attackers an easy path in, especially once IT networks are compromised through phishing or weak remote access.
This convergence between OT and IT has real consequences. Fortinet’s 2024 OT cybersecurity survey found that nearly 73% of organizations experienced at least one intrusion affecting OT in the past year, with 31% experiencing six or more breaches — often driven by weak segmentation, legacy exposure, and insufficient monitoring.
Meanwhile, today’s manufacturing supply chains are more interconnected than ever. Vendors, contractors, and logistics partners are often granted access to internal systems for efficiency, but this also means a compromise in one part of the chain can ripple across the entire network. The blast radius of a breach is no longer confined to a single plant or process — it can disrupt entire ecosystems.
Despite escalating threats, many manufacturers remain uneven across the sector. Progress is often slowed by budget constraints, competing operational demands, and persistent silos between IT and OT teams. But with digital transformation accelerating, the need to modernize has become urgent. Bridging the gap between legacy systems and digital infrastructure, investing in cybersecurity and data protection, and cultivating talent with the right mix of technical and strategic capabilities are essential steps toward resilience. These actions not only reduce cyber risk — they also lay the foundation for the smart, connected operations that are rapidly becoming the industry norm.
Common Cybersecurity Gaps in Manufacturing Environments
A digitally resilient manufacturer isn’t one that avoids every incident, but rather one that can detect a breach in real time, isolate the impact to a specific cell or production line, and recover without compromising safety or uptime. Achieving this requires continuous coordination between IT and OT, supported by purpose-built cybersecurity capabilities and informed leadership.
Even mature organizations often overlook critical vulnerabilities that leave them exposed. Among the most impactful and commonly observed gaps are:
- Lack of real-time OT monitoring. Assumed isolation leads to blind spots, allowing threats to go undetected.
- IT-focused incident response. OT teams are often unprepared when a cyberattack disrupts production.
- Poor network segmentation. Flat architectures allow attackers to move easily between IT and OT.
- Unsecured IIoT and outdated firmware. Smart devices are often deployed without proper hardening or updates.
- Minimal security testing. Many industrial sites avoid testing due to operational fragility, leaving vulnerabilities unchecked.
Addressing these gaps doesn’t require a complete overhaul — but it does require targeted action.
Where to Go From Here
Manufacturers can’t afford to wait for a major incident before taking action. Building cyber resilience in industrial environments requires:
- Segmenting IT and OT networks to limit lateral movement
- Improving visibility into what’s running on factory floors
- Establishing 24/7 threat monitoring with OT-specific detection capabilities
- Conducting regular cyber risk assessments that include third-party access and legacy systems
- Training teams across departments to spot and report suspicious activity
Cybersecurity is no longer just an IT issue — it’s a business continuity imperative.
How Hitachi Cyber can help
At Hitachi Cyber, we help manufacturers modernize their security without interrupting operations. From OT risk assessments to 24/7 managed security services and architecture security, our services are built to protect productivity, safeguard IP, and ensure operational continuity across your entire industrial ecosystem.
Book a call today to learn how we can strengthen your cyber resilience and keep your operations secure.
