The manufacturing industry has experienced and is still experiencing a technological revolution. While this is great, there is a downside. Manufacturing companies have become prime targets for cybersecurity attacks. This is mainly because manufacturing companies are increasingly reliant on digital technologies to streamline operations and improve productivity. In 2016, the US National Center for Manufacturing Sciences revealed that 39% of all the cyberattacks experienced globally were targeted at the manufacturing industry. This figure increased the next year by another 24%.
One way cyberattacks can affect these companies is by causing them to experience downtimes. Such downtimes disrupt production, which affects their income and scalability. Implementing robust cybersecurity strategies is crucial to safeguarding against these threats. Continue reading to find out five essential cybersecurity strategies manufacturing industries should implement to prevent downtimes.
Essential Cybersecurity Strategies to Prevent Downtimes for Manufacturing Companies
Did you know that 23% of all corporate ransomware attacks target manufacturing companies? In fact, 61% of all production and manufacturing companies reported an increase in cyberattacks since 2021.
These figures show that manufacturing companies have become targets for cyberattacks. Most importantly, they reveal why you must invest more in adopting the right cybersecurity strategies if you run a manufacturing company.
Here are five essential strategies to help manufacturing companies prevent downtimes caused by cybersecurity breaches:
Implement network segmentation
Network segmentation involves dividing a network into smaller, isolated segments to restrict access and control the flow of traffic between them. This strategy limits the spread of cyber attacks by containing them within a specific segment, thus preventing widespread disruption.
According to a report by Gartner, organizations that implement network segmentation can reduce the impact of cybersecurity incidents by up to 75%. By isolating critical systems and sensitive data, manufacturing companies can ensure that an attack on one part of the network does not compromise the entire operation. Regularly review and update segmentation policies to adapt to evolving threats.
Set standards and requirements in place
One of the most important steps to take when protecting your manufacturing organization from cyber threats is to set standards and requirements. You need to be quite strict with this process. It will require you to enforce industrial network and cybersecurity standards across all of your platforms, especially with regard to your supply chain partners.
When setting your standards and requirements, ensure that you do so with the utmost clarity. State clear expectations and furnish everyone involved with the security rules they must follow. If you need help with this, you can contact us at Support Link Technologies, and we can help establish the framework your organization needs.
Information sharing
With technology being the vehicle that drives innovation and manufacturing these days, information sharing has become aspect of every manufacturing company’s operation processes. Ensure that you encourage everyone within your organization to be open, especially when it comes to cybersecurity information.
Sharing information across all stakeholders might seem risky, but it is one of the most important steps you can take to protect your cybersecurity framework. Consider it a collective defense approach that can help strengthen your manufacturing company’s network and security.
Frequent cybersecurity audits
How do you know that your cybersecurity strategies are up to date? Do you take steps to check in on all your stakeholders to ensure that they are doing the right thing regarding organizational cybersecurity? The only way to find out is by carrying out frequent cybersecurity audits.
Ensure that you carry out frequent audits of your strategies and processes to ensure that everyone meets the latest industry standards. Don’t leave out your supply chain partners. Remember, they will leave your organization vulnerable if they don’t meet the standards. If anything goes wrong, you may lose a lot of money and even the trust of your customers, not to mention truncating your production process.
Response coordination
You may have done everything mentioned above and even more. That’s great. But it does not mean that you are protected one hundred percent. There is always the chance of your cybersecurity measures being breached. What do you do when this happens?
You must be proactive rather than reactive. This means that you should already have an incident response coordination plan in place should your systems be breached. Work with your stakeholders to develop coordinated response plans. This way, you have your organization covered in the incident of any cybersecurity incidents. Support Link Technologies can work with your team to develop tailor-made response plans to protect your organization.
Conclusion
Manufacturing companies must prioritize cybersecurity to prevent downtimes and ensure operational continuity. Implementing strategies such as network segmentation, frequent cybersecurity audits, and implementing response coordination can significantly help you enhance your organization’s security measures. At Support Link Technologies, we have the experience and resources to protect your brand from cyberattacks that may result in downtime.