Managing risk in manufacturing with cybersecurity
Did you know that…
- The manufacturing sector is the third most hit by cyberattack in the UK
- Over half of UK companies were victims of cyberattack in 2019
- 45% of manufacturers believe that they don’t have the tools to ensure cybersecurity
- 59% of manufacturers have been asked to demonstrate cybersecurity robustness by customers
Manufacturers operate in a state of constant and extreme vulnerability to the effects of a cyberattack. Reliant on IT for every aspect of operations – from machine programming to production, and dispatch to customer service – it’s no exaggeration to say that a cyberattack can be disastrous for a manufacturer so it is vital you are up to speed on manufacturing cybersecurity risk.
If successful, a cyberattack will render your systems inoperable, data inaccessible and customers unreachable. Infecting your network and corrupting the applications that power your operation, the worst-case scenario is a total shutdown until IT recovery is completed.
Depending on the cybersecurity measures in place at the time of an attack, recovery may take up to several weeks and even then, you may lose significant data. All the while you’re haemorrhaging money by the minute with staff and suppliers on standby, orders unfulfilled and the costs of remedial action.
Hackers and other cybercriminals know the damage that they can inflict on a manufacturer all too well. This makes the sector an attractive target for ransomware attacks in particular, with perpetrators acutely aware of how desperate a manufacturer may become to resume business as usual.
With large sums of cash often being processed and a reputation for lacklustre cybersecurity, hackers also see manufacturers as easy targets for quick wins, deploying tactics such as phishing emails to fraudulently illicit cash.
For more about how manufacturing cybersecurity risk can be mitigated in any manufacturing business, download our free IT Guide for Manufacturers. Or, for help taking control of cybersecurity in your manufacturing business, please contact Sentis Managed Solutions on 0345 862 2930 or click here.
