Cyberattacks on manufacturers are escalating, with industrial systems becoming prime targets. Legacy security practices haven’t kept pace with modern threats, leaving production lines, operating systems, and supply chains exposed. Attackers are exploiting outdated software, poor consumption practices, and blind spots in the software supply chain — turning what should be efficiency-driving technology into a growing liability.
Software now powers nearly everything — from inventory management to quality control to cost analysis. While this shift has enabled innovation, it has also introduced new risks. The weakest link is no longer a faulty part or delayed shipment, but a single software component that attackers can exploit.
The Silent Threat in the Software Supply Chain
The biggest reason many manufacturers remain vulnerable is poor cybersecurity hygiene. Research shows that 80 percent of software applications remain unpatched for over a year, despite safer versions being available. Modern manufacturers rely on complex software ecosystems, much of it built on open source components. While open source drives speed and flexibility, it also introduces hidden risks when not properly managed.
Log4j remains a clear example. Years after the initial disclosure, the vulnerable version is still being downloaded — despite the availability of better alternatives. This pattern persists because many organizations lack the infrastructure to manage their software supply chain effectively.
More recently, the threat has evolved. Attackers are no longer just exploiting old vulnerabilities — they’re injecting malicious components directly into open source libraries, betting someone will download a corrupted version instead of the real one. In Q1 of 2025 alone, over 17,954 pieces of open source malware were uncovered — a trend that puts manufacturers at even greater risk of unknowingly shipping compromised software.
The Developer Bottleneck
For over 96 percent of vulnerabilities, safer versions exist. But in most organizations, developers struggle to know what’s safe, what won’t break code, and what can be fixed easily. Delivery pressure, poor visibility, and disconnected tools create unnecessary friction — and prevent teams from addressing issues quickly.
What developers need are clear, answerable questions:
- Are we even using this exact component?
- In which applications does it appear?
- What fix can be applied with zero or minimal effort — and won’t break my code?
- Can we track remediation across the portfolio?
- How long until we could ship or deploy a safe update?
These questions remain difficult to answer quickly in most organizations, though a few have solved this with modern tooling and automation. Ironically, manufacturers that lead the world in physical supply chain optimization often overlook those same fundamentals when it comes to software.
The High Cost of Inaction
When cyberattacks hit manufacturers, the impact isn’t limited to IT. Production lines halt, shipments are delayed, contracts are jeopardized, and millions in revenue can vanish. A ransomware attack can knock out operations for days or weeks. On top of that, regulatory fines and reputational damage can add to the toll.
AI raises the stakes even further — accelerating code creation in ways that often bypass or ignore established security policies, while simultaneously equipping bad actors with smarter, faster tools to exploit enterprise systems. The attack surface is expanding, and the barriers to launching sophisticated attacks are lower than ever.
Yet too many manufacturers remain reactive — fixing issues only after they cause disruption. With threats evolving rapidly, this approach is no longer sustainable.
Manufacturers excel at managing physical supply chains with precision: every component is vetted, tracked, and tested. That same discipline must now apply to software.
A Software Bill of Materials (SBOM) gives teams visibility into what’s running across their systems — like an MBOM for code. But visibility alone isn’t enough. Developers need automation: tooling that flags vulnerabilities, suggests backward-compatible upgrades, and integrates directly into development pipelines.
Security should never be a manual process that slows teams down. It should be embedded by design — effortless, intelligent, and fast. As manufacturers become increasingly digital, they can no longer treat software security as a secondary concern. The software supply chain needs the same oversight, investment, and accountability as the physical one.
The path forward is clear. By making security easy for developers and applying supply chain rigor to software, manufacturers can protect their operations, earn customer trust, and future-proof their business.
Cyber threats aren’t slowing down. The only question is whether manufacturers will act — before the next attack forces their hand.