The manufacturing industry is highly interconnected and strongly influenced by changes in the economic outlook. Seismic shifts in global trade norms and dynamic tariffs have increased these pressures. In such volatile moments, disruptions create unique challenges, with supply chains in flux and vulnerabilities exposed, not unlike the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Organizations are forced to respond to broad changes, diverting their attention from robust, cyber-resilient environments.
In this blog, we’ll explore the current cybersecurity landscape and actionable steps manufacturers can take to protect their operation and build cyber resilience.
Growing Cybersecurity Risks in the Manufacturing Industry
With new security threats on the rise, manufacturing companies need to secure a cyber-resilient environment that can navigate through any challenges. (Cyber resilient refers to the ability for an organization to prevent, withstand, and recover from disruptions.)
Risk 1: Increase in Supply Chain Cyber Threats
Relying heavily on third-party vendors and global logistics systems is a part of modern-day manufacturing but it also leaves supply chains susceptible to cyberattacks. In the past, high-profile incidents have highlighted the widening attack surface of an increasingly global supply chain, leaving manufacturers at risk.
Empowered by AI and automation, cybercriminals can exploit weak links in vendor networks, potentially causing sustained disruption in production, delays in shipments, and exposure of sensitive data.
Look at recent attack trends for examples of a cyber breach’s ripple effects. Recent trends, specific to the manufacturing sector, have seen nation-state and criminal groups targeting manufacturing supply chains to gain strategic or financial advantage. Threat actors’ motives extend beyond immediate financial gain, often focusing on intellectual property theft and long-term disruption of production reliability.
Risk 2: Shift Toward Cloud-Driven Manufacturing
Cloud adoption is accelerating in manufacturing. With multicloud strategies becoming more common, many manufacturers are taking the opportunity to benefit from the advantages of each cloud, such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI), Microsoft Azure, and more. However, multicloud comes with a broader attack surface and additional vulnerabilities, as hybrid, cloud, and multicloud environments require more robust cybersecurity frameworks to safeguard critical data and processes.
Risk 3: Focus on Data Sovereignty
In an intrinsically international business such as the manufacturing industry, data sovereignty (the idea that data is bound to the laws and regulations of the state, region, or country in which it is located) becomes a challenge and a business imperative.
Shifts in regional and global trade create new compliance challenges as evolving laws and regulations impact data sovereignty requirements. As manufacturers adjust business models to fluctuating levies on imports and exports, they are also required to navigate complex regulations, from the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) to the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), to ensure data remains secure and compliant within specific geographies. Non-compliance carries the potential for fines, reputational damage, and lost business opportunities.
Risk 4: IoT and Smart Manufacturing
With artificial intelligence (AI) and automation revolutionizing workflows across industries, manufacturers have also capitalized on the rise of IoT-enabled devices in smart factories. The automated, analytical flow of data helps industry leaders make data-driven decisions to optimize processes and scale efficiently.
Interconnected sensors, machinery, and devices are often exposed to malware, phishing attacks, and unauthorized access attempts, especially in environments lacking proper endpoint protection. Any combination of incorrectly set-up endpoints, misconfigured cloud, out-of-date unpatched legacy equipment or general security malfunction could allow cybercriminals entry into IoT-enabled devices’ systems and provide access to data.
In addition, traditional IT security threats still remain relevant, including ransomware and malware, insider threat, and end of life/support systems.
Building Cyber Resilience Across Your Manufacturing Environment
Building cyber resilience is about more than security; it’s about ensuring continuity, recoverability, and adaptability in a landscape of constant disruption. As manufacturing processes evolve and Operational Technology (OT) and Information Technology (IT) environments become increasingly integrated, the lines between shopfloor systems and enterprise networks are blurring.
The convergence of OT and IT introduces new productivity opportunities but also unprecedented risks.
Here are seven actionable practices for cyber resilience in the manufacturing industry:
1. Benchmark Using Industry Standards
Manufacturers can benchmark their cyber resilience maturity using globally recognized frameworks such as the NIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0 (CSF 2.0), ISA/IEC 62443, and ISO 27019. These frameworks help align protection, detection, and recovery capabilities, ensuring that every control directly supports operational stability and business outcomes.
2. Segment Networks and Define Clear Boundaries
Legacy equipment, industrial control systems (ICS), and supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems often operate outside traditional IT security governance in production environments. This creates an expanded attack surface for adversaries seeking to exploit vulnerabilities in industrial protocols such as Modbus, DNP3, or Profinet.
Manufacturers should adopt in-depth layered defense strategies aligned with industry standards to safeguard production integrity. Key mechanisms include:
- Segmenting OT and IT networks following the Purdue Model to limit lateral movement.
- Implementing network monitoring and anomaly detection tuned for industrial protocols.
- Applying strict change management and patch cycles to PLCs, HMIs, and plant-level devices.
- Hardening remote access through multifactor authentication and jump server isolation.
- Where possible, secure IoT-enabled devices with endpoint monitoring, encryption, regular patching and updates, and robust authentication protocols to prevent unauthorized access.
By embedding cybersecurity directly into the operational fabric, manufacturers maintain uptime, product integrity, and employee safety.
3. Strengthen Data Sovereignty Measures
In the face of more complex regulations and trade policies, manufacturers should leverage tools to ensure compliance with region-specific data laws. Such a process may entail localizing data storage or working with cloud service providers to create localized solutions. Organizations should classify, track, and protect sensitive data across geographic boundaries.
4. Adopt Multicloud Security Solutions
Leverage multicloud strategies to build greater resilience. Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI), for example, offers a robust suite of tools to help with security while enabling integration of AI and machine learning (ML) with IoT-enabled devices. Multicloud governance is key, meaning unified visibility, consistent policy enforcement, and security controls across all environments.
5. Invest in a Partner for Risk Management
Manufacturing-focused managed service providers (MSPs) can play a critical role in reducing disruption during trade upheaval and economic uncertainty. By outsourcing IT and cybersecurity to a trusted MSP, organizations onboard a team of experts to help handle their end-to-end manufacturing cybersecurity environment.
6. Prepare for Ransomware and Espionage Threats
With the expertise of a trusted MSP behind your organization, you ensure that the latest technology is being deployed effectively for proactive threat detection. AI, automation, and machine learning, when paired with effective defense strategies, unite to create powerful pattern recognition in identifying vulnerabilities. This helps organizations detect potential threats earlier, isolate them more quickly, and minimize operational and financial impact.
Beyond prevention, recovery readiness defines organizational resilience. Manufacturers should continuously test and refine their incident response (IR) and business continuity frameworks to validate real-world preparedness.
Effective cyber resilience ensures that critical manufacturing processes can restart quickly even in the face of a major cyber disruption.
7. Align People and Governance
True resilience begins with people and governance. Manufacturing leaders should align CISO, CIO, and Plant Operations teams under a unified security strategy that integrates policy, process, and culture. Collaborative governance helps ensure that every operational decision, from machinery modernization to supplier onboarding, accounts for cyber risk.
Equally critical is raising workforce awareness. Security behaviors on the factory floor, such as proper credential use, reporting anomalies, and understanding phishing risks, can be the deciding factor in preventing attacks that technology alone cannot stop.
Secure Your Manufacturing Landscape Today
As manufacturers navigate the complexities of global trade upheaval, cybersecurity should remain a top priority. From securing IoT-enabled devices to adopting secure multicloud solutions, the strategies outlined above provide a roadmap for protecting operations and ensuring compliance with regional regulations. Although the stakes are high, the solutions are within reach.
Syntax offers tailored cybersecurity proposals, including separating out IT and OT networks, leveraging GenAI-powered security operations centers (SOCs) and advanced cloud capabilities to meet the unique needs of manufacturers. With Syntax as your partner, your organization can build resilience, safeguard your operations, and thrive in an era of disruption.
Partner with Syntax to protect your business from cyber threats and trade instability. Contact us now to learn how we can help you build a secure and compliant manufacturing ecosystem.
Looking to accelerate innovation and protect against future disruption? Check out our webinar on Cyber Resilience and Disaster Recovery in OCI.
For a glimpse at how Syntax helps manufacturers upgrade and migrate enterprise resource planning (ERP) workloads, look into our work with Laticrete.
Jack Cherkas
Jack Cherkas
Global CISO and VP Security Services, Syntax
Jack is a seasoned cyber professional with extensive leadership experience in cyber security at major global corporations. He has worked across various sectors, including telecommunications, financial services, the UK public sector, and critical national infrastructure. His expertise spans managed services, professional services, consultancy, setting up a CISO organization from scratch, and leading the resolution of major cyber security incidents.