Manufacturers are facing an ever-growing list of cyber threats. Research conducted by IBM revealed that 50% of organizations affected by cyber-attacks are in the manufacturing sector.
Understanding where your vulnerabilities lie is the first step to determining what prevention methods your organization needs. We’ve outlined the top cyber threats the manufacturing industry faces right now.
Supply Chain Attacks – Manufacturing firms receive and supply sensitive information between several different parties. In a supply chain attack, a hacker gains access to a vendor or partner that has access to the manufacturing firms’ systems and data. The criminal can then enter the network, steal information, and cause significant reputational damage. Manufacturing firms need to be extremely cautious with the information they share with vendors and what cybersecurity measures they and their partners have in place.
Ransomware – Cyber-criminals are taking a major interest in ransomware attacks within the manufacturing industry. Manufacturers are a strategic target because their operations cannot afford to be out of action for a long period of time due to the nature of the industry. Downtime in the manufacturing space costs a significant amount of money, so companies are more likely to give into the demands of the attackers. In some cases, it may be cheaper for the manufacturing firm to pay the ransom than ensue the cost of downtime to their systems.
Phishing – Regardless of industry, phishing is one of the top threats businesses need to understand and prepare for. Hackers will send malicious emails to mislead employees to click a link or download an attachment in order to gain access to an organization’s systems and data. It is vital that manufacturing firms are providing cybersecurity training to their employees since human error accounts for 99% of cybersecurity – related incidents. Phishing scams are becoming more sophisticated by the day, so training employees how to spot a potential scam is a game-changer for any organization.
Don’t let your business fall victim to one of these attacks. Blue Star Cyber offers highly tailored, custom cybersecurity plans for the manufacturing industry. Contact us today to find out how we can build a security program that works for your business.
