Publish Date: September 2025
Manufacturers today face an unprecedented surge in cybersecurity threats. As production environments become more digitally connected, attackers increasingly exploit operational technology to disrupt operations, infiltrate supply chains and access sensitive systems. The rise of AI-driven cyberattacks only intensifies this challenge, overwhelming outdated legacy tools and exposing vulnerabilities created by aging equipment, smart manufacturing expansion and sprawling IT and OT infrastructures.
The consequences are serious: ransomware, production downtime, IP theft, reputational harm, regulatory penalties and rising cyber insurance costs. To protect both operations and business outcomes, manufacturers must adopt agile, proactive security strategies grounded in industry best practices and supported by trusted experts.
Modern manufacturing blends traditional IT systems with industrial control systems and IoT and IIoT devices on the plant floor. Historically, OT assets relied on physical isolation or segmented networks, but digital transformation initiatives are eliminating many of these boundaries. Lateral movement between IT and OT domains introduces new blind spots and expanded attack surfaces that adversaries actively exploit.
Although many individual platforms include built-in security features, they protect only pieces of the overall environment. A truly secure manufacturing operation requires cohesive governance, shared visibility and unified protection strategies that span all connected systems, supported by strong collaboration between IT and OT teams.
Manufacturers are phasing out legacy perimeter focused security models in favour of integrated approaches aligned with contemporary frameworks such as the NIST Cybersecurity Framework. Growing scrutiny from regulators, customers, insurers and investors is driving organizations to implement controls that can be tested, audited and proven resilient.
Zero Trust now anchors these strategies. Although not always easy to implement, it requires robust identity and access management, continuous verification of users and assets and segmentation to minimise lateral movement when an intrusion occurs. By adopting this model, manufacturers strengthen operational resilience and reduce systemic cyber exposure.
Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping cyber risks in manufacturing. Adversaries are using AI to automate reconnaissance, accelerate vulnerability discovery and craft highly targeted attacks that bypass traditional defences. AI-generated social engineering and adaptive malware create threats that evolve too quickly for manual processes to contain.
At the same time, AI is becoming an essential defensive tool. Machine learning and autonomous response capabilities allow security teams to detect anomalies earlier, prioritise threats with greater accuracy and orchestrate rapid containment across IT and OT environments. The manufacturers who succeed will be those who harness AI responsibly and proactively to stay ahead of AI-enabled attackers.
Effective protection begins with a clear understanding of every asset and dependency within the manufacturing environment. Legacy systems, aging equipment and fragmented infrastructure require careful prioritisation and structured remediation. Cybersecurity maturity must be treated as an ongoing investment rather than a project with an end date.
Success depends on long-term planning, aligned governance, adequate funding and access to specialised skills and services capable of closing critical gaps.
Manufacturers often invest in high-value security technologies but do not always realise their full potential. Misconfigurations, limited deployment or siloed data can leave critical coverage gaps and reduce effectiveness. Establishing unified visibility into network activity, identities and connected devices enables real-time analytics and faster anomaly detection across the entire IT and OT environment.
Modern platforms such as EDR, XDR, SIEM and SOAR enhance this visibility by automating investigation and accelerating incident response. These capabilities help security teams stay ahead of evolving threats and maximise the value of existing security investments.
Manufacturing's future is digital, automated and connected. Securing that future requires continued vigilance and a unified approach to cybersecurity, one that transforms risk into resilience and empowers operations to run smarter, safer and stronger.
