You may be surprised to learn that healthcare, financial and government institutions are not the top targets for cyberattacks in the U.S. It’s manufacturing – our facilities, supply chains, energy grids and other crucial infrastructure — the American manufacturing ecosystem at large.
Why? Because manufacturing is the backbone of economic vitality and national security.
These attacks can come from a variety of sources, including disgruntled current or former employees, corporate rivals, or criminals looking for a ransom. But the greatest threats are nation-state actors seeking to cripple production capabilities and gain economic advantage. As manufacturing of all types becomes more digital, robotic, automated and connected online, these manufacturing operations become more susceptible to cyberattacks. The main defense is to deeply incorporate cybersecurity into workplace culture as thoroughly as possible.
This requires a radically new approach toward cybersecurity – one that shifts it from a cost center to a value center, with IT and OT (Operational Technology) teams and efforts closely knit, and where manufacturing innovation is created to be cybersecure from the get-go.
Beyond IT: Cybersecurity as a Value Center
Many organizations still regard cybersecurity as a cost center and solely the responsibility of the IT department. It’s seen as a necessary expense for protection to ward off cyberattacks, but not as an investment area or growth strategy. That approach must change if our industry is to protect itself.
While IT cybersecurity is necessary, it’s no longer sufficient. The most devastating attacks today exploit vulnerabilities in OT environments — the systems that run production lines, robotic platforms, and critical infrastructure like energy grids. OT breaches can cause real-world consequences: damaged equipment, production shutdowns, or even physical disasters.
Preventing such attacks requires a holistic approach: mathematically and physically driven architectures designed to be secure by default, not patched after vulnerabilities appear. Good practices and standards exist — but true protection starts with leadership commitment and a cyber-aware workforce.
Cybersecurity is a value center essential to innovation, operational resilience, and, in some cases, even national security. It is also an obligation owed to employees, customers and shareholders. Cybersecurity is not solely the responsibility of the IT department; it also is the responsibility of all C-suite leaders, all associates, and the OT and R&D teams driving innovation.
Understanding the Threat Landscape
Cyber threats can be visualized as a pyramid. At the base are hygiene attacks — phishing emails, social engineering, and credential theft — often simple but still dangerous.
In the middle are advanced persistent threats (APTs), sophisticated attacks that infiltrate systems, disrupt operations, or steal intellectual property. At the peak are sabotage-level threats capable of catastrophic damage.
As manufacturing processes become more advanced and online through innovations like AI, robotics, and 5G networks, vulnerabilities grow exponentially. Attack vectors can be introduced during system design, as demonstrated by the Colonial Pipeline incident. Worse, the cost for attackers to launch operations is dropping, while the complexity and impact of attacks are on the rise.
Manufacturers must recognize that cyber threats are not a distant problem. They are already here, targeting everything from critical energy systems to robotic automation.
Building a Proactive Cybersecurity Culture
A true cybersecurity culture begins at the top. Senior leadership must move cybersecurity out of the IT silo and into the boardroom, and every facet of the company. Here are some tips to enable a cybersecure-first culture:
- Set the Tone. C-level executives must champion cybersecurity as integral to operational excellence and business resilience. Talking about cybersecurity regularly — not just after incidents — signals its importance. Champion cybersecurity publicly and privately as a business enabler and value creator, not just a cost center.
- Make It Proactive. Cybersecurity must be embedded from the start of every innovation project. Products, production lines, and technologies must be built to be secure-first, not secured as an afterthought. A cybersecurity-first design philosophy minimizes risk, speeds response times and accelerates further innovation.
- Invest and Upgrade. Cybersecurity, like innovation, is never finished. Cybercriminals are continuously adopting new technologies, like AI, to create more powerful and sophisticated attacks. Manufacturers cannot afford to drop their guard or think they’ve done enough to be safe – that’s when they will be the most vulnerable. With Quantum computing around the corner, this is even more important than ever before.
- Cybersecurity-First Innovation Strategy. Integrate cybersecurity into innovation. Cybersecurity shouldn’t be retrofitted into a new product, process or technology; it should be embedded into innovation from the start. Engineers should be striving for cybersecurity goals alongside automation, efficiency and other traditional R&D goals. In OT environments, cybersecurity must be mathematically modeled and engineered alongside physical processes. Protecting systems isn’t just about firewalls and passwords — it’s about a holistic design approach that factors in physics, network segmentation, built-in redundancies and more.
- Prepare and Respond. Manufacturers must assume that attacks will happen and prepare accordingly. This includes developing and regularly updating response plans, conducting ongoing cyber training and drills, and ensuring robust, offline data backups to minimize downtime after attacks like ransomware.
- Seek Partners. Small and mid-sized manufacturers, in particular, may lack the resources to manage cybersecurity alone. Collaborating with cybersecurity partners, especially those with expertise in the manufacturing industry, or leveraging Secure Research and Development Infrastructure (SRDI) models, can provide access to expertise and cutting-edge protection strategies.
The threats facing U.S. manufacturing will only continue to grow. Nation-states like China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran see cyber warfare as a frontline tactic in global economic competition. AI is making it faster and less expensive for them and other adversaries to design increasingly sophisticated attacks.
The best way for manufacturers to thrive in this perilous environment is to make cybersecurity such an integral part of corporate culture that they are prepared to deter attacks and recover quickly in the event of a breach.
Howard Grimes is CEO of the Cybersecurity Manufacturing Innovation Institute, a San Antonio-based U.S. Department of Energy-funded Manufacturing USA institute that focuses on the Secure by Design and Secure by Default innovations needed to build a robust, productive, and competitive U.S. manufacturing ecosystem — and energy grid — with trackable security across entire supply chains.