October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month (CSAM), and the threat landscape has evolved considerably over the past several years. The world is becoming increasingly digitized—and while attackers have victimized industries like technology and finance for years, they no longer sit alone at the top of the target list. In fact, modern attackers now recognize that they don’t need to spend their time and energy searching for intellectual property to steal or financial records to breach. Instead, they can simply threaten businesses with the most damaging possible outcome: downtime.
Industries like healthcare and manufacturing have seen a substantial uptick in cyberattacks for one simple reason: any service interruption or downtime can cost businesses millions of dollars in lost productivity. The more integrated technology becomes, the easier it is to manage—but it’s important to remember that every connected device represents a potential entry point for attackers.
For manufacturers, that means a single poorly protected device or application could lead to systems being taken offline, critical data being stolen or encrypted, and other outcomes that can grind production to a halt. This makes cybersecurity critical, and CSAM is the perfect time for manufacturers to consider whether they have the right solutions in place—and whether they are working as intended.
The issue of cybersecurity in the manufacturing industry is not a new one—in fact, the World Economic Forum (WEF) recently issued a call to action for manufacturers, urging them to prioritize stronger security in the face of an evolving threat landscape. Through the Cyber Resilience in Manufacturing initiative, the WEF has provided a framework for businesses in the manufacturing sector that outlines clear steps they can take to improve their security posture. This includes the need to consistently monitor their entire digital ecosystems for vulnerabilities and consistently apply patches and updates.
Installing updates in a timely manner sounds simple, but it can be an arduous process for manufacturers—particularly those that rely heavily on older operational technology (OT) that may not integrate well with IT solutions. Properly updating these solutions may require temporary downtime, which manufacturers are—understandably—reluctant to approve. Manufacturers also present a sizable attack surface, and the gaps between IT and OT systems often present attackers with opportunities to exploit poorly configured (or nonexistent) security tools. Further, manufacturers are vulnerable to supply chain attacks, which continue to plague businesses across a wide range of industries.
Modern attackers also understand that businesses in the manufacturing industry are highly motivated to pay ransomware and extortion demands. Attackers can cost manufacturers millions of dollars in lost productivity by shutting down production systems, disrupting key processes, or encrypting critical data. And unfortunately, attackers are better than ever at breaking into critical systems.
The recent 2024 State of Exposure Management & Security Validation research report found that controls common to the manufacturing industry, including web gateways and web application firewalls (WAFs), are often dangerously vulnerable, presenting an easy target for attackers looking to make a quick buck. The report found that manufacturers are increasingly vulnerable to data exfiltration as attackers look to steal intellectual property, customer information, and other potentially valuable data.
Identifying and Prioritizing Vulnerabilities
Addressing these vulnerabilities isn’t easy—but it is possible. Amid today’s evolving threat landscape, visibility is more critical than ever. Manufacturers need a way to effectively visualize their entire attack surface, and modern attack surface management (ASM) solutions can help determine where potential vulnerabilities exist before attackers have the opportunity to exploit them.
Manually identifying gaps in IT or OT coverage is almost impossible given the complexity of today’s digital ecosystem, but ASM solutions can help spot WAF misconfigurations and other potential exposures automatically. ASM solutions also enable manufacturers to add compensating controls if a vendor or partner has suffered a breach, stopping third-party attacks before they happen.
Since manufacturers may not always be able to install patches and updates in a timely manner, it’s also important to identify where the most dangerous vulnerabilities exist and mitigate them effectively. Attack simulation and control validation are important practices for manufacturers and can help better illustrate how attackers are likely to behave.
Manufacturers can better understand which vulnerabilities are most pressing and which can be safely de-prioritized by simulating attack activity and evaluating how security controls respond. This works hand-in-hand with ASM capabilities: ASM can identify potential vulnerabilities, but control validation can determine whether they are likely to be exploited by an actual attacker. Manufacturers can then direct their security resources to the areas of greatest need, addressing major concerns before moving on to lesser exposures.
Finally, manufacturers should prioritize limiting lateral movement within their systems. The easier it is for an attacker to move from system to system, the more likely they will eventually identify something valuable. By implementing network segmentation (and validating that it is working as intended), manufacturers can limit the damage an attacker can do. By making it difficult to jump between IT and OT systems, access critical areas of the network, or escalate their privileges, manufacturers can ensure that a single compromised device won’t open a clear path to the business’s metaphorical crown jewels.
Visibility and Validation Remain Key
The manufacturing industry is an increasingly popular target for attackers, who recognize that manufacturers need to protect a sprawling attack surface and often have a limited security budget with which to do it. Today’s manufacturers can mitigate many of their most common challenges, such as poor patching cadence and security misconfigurations, by implementing solutions like ASM and control validation.
Improving vulnerability across the entire attack surface will allow manufacturers to more accurately identify where potential vulnerabilities exist and which exposures call for immediate remediation. This Cybersecurity Awareness Month, don’t risk becoming the next victim—evaluate your controls, prioritize your exposures, and avoid making yourself an easy target for attackers.