Stay Cyber Resilient from the Shop Floor to the Top Floor

“That’s just how we’ve always done it.” 

Those are seven of the most dangerous words in the business world. 

We see organizations fall into this costly trap all the time: cobbling together multiple security tools or sticking with inefficient processes because “that's how we've always done it.” *Cringe*. The thing is, we all know these band-aid solutions actually increase costs and risks in the long run.  

IBM reports that the average cost of a data breach for manufacturing in 2024 was $5.04 million. And manufacturing continues to rank as the most targeted industry by cybercriminals.  

Need more proof? The Cyber Management Alliance has a long list of the biggest cyberattacks in 2024. One notable example is the attack on industrial giant Schneider Electric, which fell victim to the Cactus ransomware group in early 2024. The attackers claimed to have stolen 1.5 TB of sensitive data from the company's Sustainability Business division, including client information from major global brands. 

True cyber resilience isn't about responding to attacks—it's about building systems and cultures that can anticipate, adapt to, and evolve beyond emerging threats. Even industry leaders with multimillion-dollar security budgets remain exposed when they focus mainly on technology instead of building a comprehensive security culture that protects what matters most—operational continuity and market advantage. 

Manufacturing leaders who transform cyber resilience from a cost center into an advantage are pulling ahead of their competitors. The framework outlined below protects you from the shop floor to the top floor—without requiring a complete overhaul of your existing systems. 

Your Employees Are Your First (and Last) Line of Defense 

According to a Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report, 88% of all cybersecurity breaches are attributed to human error. Yes, you read that correctly—the most sophisticated security system in the world can be undermined by something as simple as one employee clicking the wrong link. 

In manufacturing, the human element creates unique vulnerabilities: 

• Shop floor vulnerabilities: Production workers receiving phishing emails disguised as supplier communications or equipment updates 

• IoT device risks: Maintenance staff connecting unsecured devices to your operational technology network 

• Password problems: Engineers using the same password across multiple systems to “make things easier” 

• Protocol shortcuts: Employees bypassing security measures to maintain production efficiency 

• Insider access: Staff with legitimate access unintentionally exposing sensitive data 

Consider what happened at Schneider Electric in early 2024. Despite being a sophisticated industrial giant, they fell victim to the Cactus ransomware group. Even more concerning, this was their third cyber breach in less than two years. Or look at Simpson Manufacturing, where a ransomware attack caused critical systems to go offline for three months, severely impacting their operations and customer deliveries. 

This is why we help organizations build a “human firewall.” We help you train your entire workforce to recognize and respond to security threats.  

It's the manufacturing supervisor who questions an unusual email requesting credentials. It's the IT staff member who implements proper access controls. It's the operations manager who ensures vendor systems are properly vetted before connection. When your team understands their role in security, you've built your first and strongest defense against the attacks targeting your business every day. 

Compliance as a Foundation, Not a Finish Line 

The manufacturing companies that thrive in today's threat landscape use compliance as a starting point for building comprehensive security strategies that address their unique operational technology environments, supply chain relationships, and intellectual property concerns. 

Compliance frameworks like NIST or ISO 27001 create a security baseline that: 

• Establishes minimum security controls across your organization 

• Creates documentation and processes for managing security incidents 

• Ensures regular review and updating of security measures 

• Mitigates legal risks and potential financial penalties 

Compliance alone is insufficient. True cyber resilience requires going beyond checkbox compliance to implement proactive, predictive security measures tailored to your specific business risks. 

The Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) is crucial if you're in the defense sector. Starting this year, defense contractors must achieve CMMC certification to maintain eligibility for DoD contracts. Federal contractors also need to pay attention to NIST 800-171, which provides guidelines for protecting Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI). Finally, manufacturers utilizing industrial automation and control systems should know the ISA/IEC 62443 standards, which offer a framework for securing these critical operational technology (OT) environments. 

Compliance requirements can feel like bureaucratic hurdles. However, these standards establish a critical layer of security practices that protect your entire business operation. 

The ROI of Cyber Resilience 

Cybersecurity investments need to demonstrate clear value. Consider these financial impacts of investing in cyber resilience: 

• Breach cost avoidance: If the average data breach costs $5.04 million, it can devastate small and medium manufacturers. 

• Operational continuity:  99% uptime still means 3.65 days of downtime per year. When ransomware freezes production systems, the losses compound by the hour. 

• Extended recovery timeline: The average breach lifecycle is 277 days from identification to containment, causing intermittent disruptions throughout this period. 

• Customer retention: Your customers choose you partly because they trust you to protect their information. When that trust is broken, clients look elsewhere. 

About one in every two organizations plan to fortify their security investments in response to breaches. Don’t wait until you’re forced to react. Start by assessing the strength of your security posture to ensure your insurance investment remains valid. 

By investing strategically in cyber resilience, you're not just preventing loss; you are enabling growth by protecting the assets that make your business valuable in the marketplace. 

A Strategic Framework for Building Cyber Resilience in Manufacturing 

For manufacturing leaders and IT executives, building cyber resilience requires a structured approach that addresses your unique operational challenges. Here's a strategic framework tailored for manufacturing environments: 

Risk Management & Governance 

What systems contain your most valuable information? Where are the vulnerabilities in your production environment? This isn't just an IT exercise—it requires input from operations, engineering, and executive leadership to identify what needs protection. 

Implement a formal risk management program that: 

• Aligns security investments with business objectives 

• Prioritizes protection for critical assets and operations 

• Establishes clear accountability for security at the executive level 

• Creates metrics to measure security program effectiveness 

Operational Technology (OT) and IoT Security 

Manufacturing environments face unique challenges with the convergence of IT and OT systems. From the shop floor to the top floor, your organization likely contains a mix of modern and legacy equipment, creating security blind spots. 

Protect these environments by: 

• Implementing network segmentation between IT and OT systems 

• Establishing strict access controls for equipment and control systems 

• Continuously monitoring OT networks for unusual activity 

• Creating security standards for new IoT devices before deployment 

• Developing an inventory of all connected devices on your network 

Incident Response and Business Continuity 

Manufacturing companies need well-defined response plans that: 

• Clearly define roles and responsibilities during an incident 

• Include procedures for both containment and recovery 

• Account for physical production environments, not just digital systems 

• Establish communication protocols for staff, customers, and partners 

• Include regular testing through tabletop exercises and simulations 

Most importantly, these plans must be practical and accessible. A 500-page incident response document sitting on a shelf helps no one during a crisis. 

Talent and Training 

Remember our discussion of the human firewall? This is where you build it. Effective security awareness training for manufacturing environments should: 

• Use real-world examples relevant to production environments 

• Explain security concepts in practical, non-technical terms 

• Provide clear guidance on reporting suspicious activity 

• Include specialized training for personnel with access to critical systems 

• Reinforce security as everyone's responsibility, not just IT's job 

By implementing this framework, manufacturing leaders create environments that anticipate threats, withstand attacks, and recover quickly when incidents occur. 

Proactive Measures = Peace of Mind 

As manufacturing leaders and IT executives in 2025, you face unprecedented cybersecurity challenges. The threat landscape continues to evolve, and attackers specifically target manufacturing organizations for their valuable intellectual property, operational data, and customer information. 

True cyber resilience isn't a project or a one-time investment—it's a strategic business approach that protects your ability to operate, innovate, and grow in an increasingly hostile digital environment. 

We challenge you to take a proactive stance by: 

1. Evaluating your security posture against the framework outlined above
   
2. Prioritizing employee training to build that critical human firewall
3. Viewing compliance as a foundation, not a finish line
4. Considering the full business impact of security investments, not just the cost 

Don’t wait until production lines grind to a halt when a cyberattack cripples your operational technology systems.