{"id":81416,"date":"2025-01-23T03:00:57","date_gmt":"2025-01-23T11:00:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jamasoftware.com\/?p=81416"},"modified":"2025-01-15T14:20:35","modified_gmt":"2025-01-15T22:20:35","slug":"with-hacks-on-the-rise-manufacturers-hone-their-cybersecurity-smarts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jamasoftware.com\/legacy\/blog\/with-hacks-on-the-rise-manufacturers-hone-their-cybersecurity-smarts\/","title":{"rendered":"With Hacks on the Rise, Manufacturers Hone Their Cybersecurity Smarts"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Cybersecurity\"

Jama Software is always looking for news that would benefit and inform our industry partners. As such, we\u2019ve curated a series of customer and industry spotlight articles that we found insightful. In this blog post, we share an article from IndustryWeek<\/a>, titled \u201cWith Hacks on the Rise, Manufacturers Hone Their Cybersecurity Smarts\u201d<\/a>, written by Stephen Gold<\/a>.<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

With Hacks on the Rise, Manufacturers Hone Their Cybersecurity Smarts<\/h2>\n

Cyber-maturity is finally catching up to digital transformation, a new Manufacturers Alliance study finds.<\/p>\n

A chief information security officer, a chief information officer and a chief manufacturing officer walk into a bar. Unfortunately, this isn\u2019t the opening line of a joke \u2013 they\u2019re in the bar because they need a stiff drink. These are harrowing times for manufacturing professionals who, in an era of Industry 4.0, are trying to integrate their information technology and operational technology while defending against the dramatically rising threat of cyber criminals.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not like they have a choice on whether to integrate their IT with OT such as machine automation, industrial control systems (ICS), robotics, programmable logistics controllers (PLCs) and building management systems (BMS). Successful IT\/OT collaboration is critical to modern manufacturers\u2019 digital strategies. Unfortunately, it\u2019s also the portal where cyber criminals gain entry to the lifeblood of the company: factory operations.<\/p>\n

In fact, IBM\u2019s X-Force Threat Intelligence reported that in 2021, manufacturing surpassed finance and insurance as the top targeted sector of cyber bad actors. Today, 1 out of every 4 cyber-attacks on business are against manufacturers. And no wonder: Despite FBI guidance, manufacturers pay the requested ransom<\/a> more often than other industries \u2013 and at typically higher rates.<\/p>\n

The biggest challenge? Cybercriminals with a track record of innovation set the pace of change. But manufacturers aren\u2019t simply circling the wagons. Just the opposite \u2013 they\u2019re meeting the challenge head on.<\/p>\n

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RELATED: <\/strong>Traceable Agile\u2122 \u2013 Speed AND Quality Are Possible for Software Factories in Safety-critical Industries<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/h4>\n
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Catching Up Quickly<\/h3>\n

Manufacturers Alliance partnered with Fortinet<\/a> recently to update a joint 2020 study on IT\/OT convergence. They found that American manufacturers\u2019 level of cyber maturity is catching up to their accelerated pace of digital transformation. This is vital because, while financial extortion related to data theft is a serious risk, infiltration of operating systems with the intent to sabotage or even shut them down poses an existential threat to manufacturers. (The cyber-attack on Clorox<\/a> this August, which paralyzed manufacturing operations for weeks and led to shortages of Clorox products in stores across the country, is the most recent poster child for the risk that factories face.)<\/p>\n

The Alliance-Fortinet survey of 155 U.S.-based mid-cap to large-cap industrial companies showed that a growing percentage of manufacturers are well on their journey with advanced anti-cybercrime programs and policies yielding impressive results. That journey, of course, starts with a large dose of reality. When asked to rank cybersecurity as a business risk, 80% put it in the top five, 10 percentage points higher than three years ago. And no wonder: that same percentage experienced at least one breach resulting in unauthorized access to data in the previous 12 months.<\/p>\n

Thirty-six percent of respondents fell victim to a ransomware attack, up from 23% in our 2020 survey. And more specifically, the impact of OT breaches has significantly increased over the past three years. While 43% of manufacturers in both 2020 and 2023 said they experienced cybersecurity-related operational outages affecting productivity \u2013<\/p>\n