FEATURE Cybersecurity How to stand up to cyber attacks
Reidar Boldevin, Consulting Manager - Security at Columbus, says it’s time to turn the tide on malicious cyber activity in the manufacturing industry
M
anufacturing has been the most cyber-attacked industry for three consecutive years. The interconnectedness
of operational technology (OT) and informational technology (IT) networks, brought on by the rise of IoT, cloud computing, and automation, expose industrial systems to a range of cyber threats. damage face manufacturers unable to systems – but more can be done to reinforce defences. Cybersecurity measures, such as network segmentation, access controls, and continuous monitoring are now imperative to protect interconnected OT and IT environments and turn the tide on malicious cyber activity in the manufacturing industry. Hacking attacks occur every 39 seconds and the manufacturing industry sees its incidents. Car manufacturer Toyota made headlines back in 2022 and 2023 for multiple cyberattacks, one of which involved the manufacturer having to shut down 14 factories for over 24 hours after a equalled about 13,000 vehicles – but similar losses can happen to companies of all sizes. A common misconception among many
organisations is that security is solely an IT problem, but it impacts customers and employees in plants around the world. Make UK research found that production stoppages were the most common result of a cyberattack (65%), with reputational damage ranking second (43%). What’s more, new customers now want reassurance on details of the cybersecurity in place before signing contracts. So how can manufacturers become more cyber resilient?
Manufacturing businesses can no longer delegate cybersecurity solely to their Security Operations Centre (SOC) teams. Rather, accountability for security should rest with top management across the organisation with measures being introduced at every operational level.
1. Identify cyber weak spots with a digital awareness check
measures begins with an assessment of the current level of digital readiness and an
24 December 2024/January 2025 | Automation
a top priority, manufacturers need to secure the boundary between IT and OT, and this involves safeguarding critical assets and preventing unauthorised access between systems.
Manufacturers can prioritise cybersecurity impact on operations in case of outages Next up is the crucial planning stages. It’s important to have a business continuity plan to ensure continuity during critical IT incidences. This will enable essential functions to continue for a limited time and help manufacturers manage supply chain disaster recovery plan, understood by every employee, should follow to establish plans for swift responses to cybersecurity incidents and disruptive events, minimising operational downtime. Once manufacturers understand where the cyber weaknesses are, it’s time to put the defences into action.
2. Keep valuable data in safe hands with
Manufacturing companies possess invaluable data that without proper management and security, poses a security risk. In 2023, the global average cost of a data breach totalled USD 4.45 million, a 15% increase over 3 years.
Each piece of information, whether about vendors, partners, material quality, comprehensive picture of a company’s
operations, strategies, and vulnerabilities. Financial data coupled up with stakeholder information for instance, could expose potential points of leverage for competitors. policies and procedures such as clear guidelines on data sharing and access, along with strong encryption, can prevent data from falling into the wrong hands. Data audits can assess the sensitivity and criticality of each dataset, and evaluate existing security measures and controls. Machine learning and AI technologies can help here by identifying pattern anomalies and potential data threats, enabling proactive risk management and threat detection. 3. Get ahead on compliance and avoid
Cybersecurity also safeguards a company’s brand perception. Manufacturers can reinforce customer trust by staying up-to-date on the latest cybersecurity to the market that the company prioritises security.
The Network and Information Security
Directive (NIS2) is the next legislation set to impact manufacturing organisations that operate in the EU. The Directive aims to build on previous regulations by implementing more robust cybersecurity and resilience standards, as well as more stringent reporting measures in the event of a security incident – but are manufacturers ready to comply?
automationmagazine.co.uk
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40
