Manufacturing cybersecurity is one of the top concerns in an industry that has evolved at a rapid pace in a short space of time. It is no longer solely defined by physical machinery and production lines; a vast amount of software now underpins manufacturing operations, creating new avenues for cyberattackers to exploit.
Digital transformation has fundamentally altered the landscape, giving rise to a complex information technology (IT) / operational technology (OT) / Internet of Things (IoT) attack surface. Corporate networks, servers, workstations, cloud platforms, email accounts, Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES), and general office IT infrastructure all represent potential attack vectors. Likewise, industrial control systems (ICS), Human-Machine Interfaces (HMIs), industrial robots, and sensors are increasingly exposed. The seamless integration of these diverse technologies only amplifies the cybersecurity complexity many manufacturing firms now navigate. Illustrating the scale of this evolving threat, research carried out by the World Economic Forum indicates that financial damage caused by cyberattacks in manufacturing is increasing faster than in any other industry, with global losses rising by 125% each year.
Traditional defenses fall short
While some digital technologies have been part of the manufacturing sector for a while, the recent pace of digitalization—and the heightened cybersecurity threat it creates—appears to have taken some organizations by surprise. This is a critical gap.
According to a recent global survey by technology research and advisory group Omdia, less than half of all manufacturing firms have taken adequate precautions regarding their cybersecurity, with 13% reporting they are not prepared at all. Evidently, many existing cybersecurity approaches are no longer fit for purpose, considering the modern threat reality where digital transformation is showing no signs of slowing.
Many legacy manufacturing cybersecurity tools cannot see or protect critical new industrial exposures. They often predate the widespread convergence of IT and OT, as well as the sophistication of modern cyber threats. Primarily designed to secure the network perimeter, they presume a separation between IT and OT assets. However, with increased connectivity, cloud integration, and remote access, this separation is no longer necessarily present. This renders them ill-equipped to handle the interconnected, dynamic, and rapidly evolving threats to modern manufacturing environments, creating vast blind spots attackers actively exploit.
Manufacturing cybersecurity and the hacker's mindset
As manufacturing has evolved, so too has cybersecurity. While traditional approaches to safeguarding digital assets often remained reactive, proactive offensive security is now viewed as the gold standard for identifying unseen weaknesses within an organization’s digital footprint and eliminating them. It is about understanding your environment as an attacker would, to stay one step ahead.
Adopting a hacker’s mindset first requires manufacturers to improve their visibility into all their internet-facing assets. Continuous visibility enables firms to automatically discover every potential exposure, including shadow IT and OT / IoT devices. However, an offensive approach requires more than just visibility. Validation, contextualization, and prioritization are key to ensuring that the assets manufacturers discover present real-world threats, rather than overwhelming security teams with noise. As such, it is crucial that manufacturers continuously test for exploitable exposures to eliminate unnecessary alerts and prevent disruption to their usual operations.
Proactive strategies for superior manufacturing cybersecurity
A growing awareness of the cybersecurity threat posed to OT systems has driven the increased adoption of offensive security approaches. Other offensive cybersecurity techniques also promise to bolster defenses for manufacturers.
- Automated, continuous testing: Because many manufacturers rely on strong operational uptime, they often represent attractive targets for malicious actors. Cyberattackers may choose to launch an exploit during “off-peak” times, such as nights or holidays, when security teams might be less well-staffed. This is why proactive approaches like Hadrian’s automated penetration testing are so crucial in manufacturing, providing continuous, real-time, event-driven testing rather than waiting for cyberattackers to strike. This ensures exposures are identified and remediated 24/7.
- Comprehensive attack surface management: Manufacturers' complex, integrated supply chains have greatly expanded their attack surface, with approximately 20% of all cyberattacks in the manufacturing sector resulting from supplier vulnerabilities. Manufacturers can no longer simply defend their internal network perimeter. This is where Hadrian’s continuous asset discovery is invaluable. It gives manufacturers 24/7 oversight of all their internet-facing assets, including those unknown shadow IT solutions and those third-party connections that may be posing an unknown exposure.
- Prioritizing exploitable exposures: Hadrian moves beyond simple asset lists by providing Adversarial Exposure Validation (AEV). This approach actively emulates real-world attacker behavior to confirm if an exposure is truly exploitable, cutting through noise and allowing Security Operations Center (SOC) teams to prioritize what truly matters. This ensures resources are directed toward exposures that could genuinely impact production or intellectual property (IP), accelerating remediation and minimizing potential disruption.
Secure your production
The manufacturing industry is quickly realizing that they are in the crosshairs of hackers. They are causing significant financial and reputational damage to long-established manufacturers, too.
To ensure manufacturing cybersecurity is robust enough to stand up to modern-day threats, from ransomware to supply chain attacks and any other possible attack vector, businesses must embrace proactive, offensive security methods. First, they should acquire comprehensive visibility of their attack surface—all their assets (known and unknown), as well as their contexts and connections. Hadrian uses the expertise of elite ethical hackers to programmatically mimic real-world exploits. The increasing number of digital assets that manufacturers rely on means continuous asset management is a must.
Manufacturing cybersecurity may come with unique challenges, but these are far from insurmountable. The convergence of IT, OT, and IIoT systems may have increased the number of exposures at many firms, but it has also led to increased efficiency, reduced costs, and improved decision-making. If manufacturers are to keep tapping into these benefits—and unlock new ones—they must be able to engage with digital tools without fear of cyberattackers infiltrating their networks.
With offensive security tools, manufacturers can build resilient systems that proactively defend against threats and ensure uninterrupted operations. Over the years, manufacturers have been quick to embrace assembly lines, robotics, and the Internet of Things. Now, it’s time to apply that same forward-thinking model to manufacturing cybersecurity.
