As cyber-physical systems collect operational data and
integrate
all elements of a supply chain, the manufacturing attack surface expands, increasing opportunities
for bad actors to infiltrate your network.
Here are five critical security issues in the
manufacturing industry:
Ransomware attacks
Ransomware
attacks seek to extort money from victims by encrypting files and requesting a ransom for the
decryption key. With heavy reliance on operational technology (OT) and Internet of Things (IoT) devices,
manufacturing companies are prime targets for ransomware attacks.
Equipment sabotage
In addition
to the compromise on devices with malware, damage to factory equipment used for production causes
operational
disruption and downtime. To minimize the possibility of equipment sabotage, companies should educate
employees and partners on facility and data security best practices.
Cyberwarfare
Most often for
political and economic reasons, criminals working on behalf of a government or an independent actor carry
out sophisticated cyberattacks targeting critical infrastructure or other manufacturing assets. To protect
against nation-state attacks, manufacturing companies should invest in real-time asset monitoring, security
awareness, and incident response planning.
Learn more about this threat by reading our
State of Cyberwarfare
Report.
Internal breaches
Attackers exploit vulnerabilities
within a manufacturer by leveraging phishing emails and malicious software insertion. Also, bad actors
within the organization may provide cybercriminals with unauthorized access to systems, credentials, and
tools. Manufacturing organizations should implement security principles such as
network
segmentation, zero trust, and least privilege in order to minimize the risk of internal
threats.
Supply chain attacks
In a supply chain attack, threat actors target their victim’s
business partners and suppliers, compromise the systems of third parties, and acquire assets to launch
cyberattacks. After gaining access to a manufacturer through a vendor, attackers can steal data, plant
malware, and disrupt operations.