April 21, 2025
All technology comes with trade-offs, and as manufacturers reap the benefits of undergoing digital transformation and embracing Industry 5.0, they must also accept the downsides–namely, more frequent, successful, and destructive cyber-attacks.
As manufacturers increasingly rely on cloud-based systems and share data between countless sources, the risk that those systems and data will be compromised by cyber-attacks goes up proportionally. Likewise, as a vital industry in possession of sensitive data and valuable intellectual property, manufacturing makes for a prime target for bad actors.
With cyber-attacks becoming more likely and potentially more damaging than ever, protecting data, ERP, and all the other technology that facilitates modern manufacturing takes on paramount importance.
Putting the Cybersecurity Problem into Perspective
A recent survey of manufacturers illustrates how important cybersecurity has become in manufacturing and how fast this shift has happened. Improving the cybersecurity posture was cited as the top priority by 63% of respondents, more than any other issue and, remarkably, up from 21.9% in the same survey from 2024.
Manufacturers have good reason to be concerned, with 80% seeing an increase in incidents and breaches in 2024. Ransomware attacks in particular were up by 87% in the industrial sector, continuing a scourge that has cost an estimated $17 billion in downtime just between 2018 and 2023.
Cyber-attacks can not only shut down production for days or weeks but also destroy expensive machines, jeopardize client relationships, violate compliance requirements, initiate lawsuits, and damage brand reputation. That helps explain why one day of ransomware-related downtime costs $1.9 million on average.
The pace of digital transformation will not slow down, but neither will the barrage of cyber attacks. To avoid ransomware and cyber-attacks at all costs, manufacturers must look critically at their cybersecurity and move fast to make upgrades.
How to Improve Cybersecurity in Manufacturing
With little time to spare and, in many cases, limited resources for cybersecurity, manufacturers should emphasize making high-impact improvements like these:
- Ace the Basics – From using multi-factor authentication (MFA) and avoiding phishing emails to storing data backups and limiting file access, basic cybersecurity measures applied on a consistent basis can prevent many cyber-attacks at low to no cost.
- Fortify the ERP – As the single source of truth, ERP systems are a valuable target for attackers but also a powerful fortress for data provided they have the right protections in place, beginning at implementation.
- Remain Vigilant – Cybersecurity will be a moving target from here onward with the ongoing evolution of cyber-attacks, digital regulations, and manufacturing technologies. These factors make it extremely important to continuously review, revise, and improve your company’s cybersecurity strategy.
- Enlist a Partner – Keep pace with dynamic attacks without the need for extensive in-house security teams. Enlist a partner who can help assess risk, plan defenses, and supply tools, talent, and services to round out any internal resources.
Guide Technologies: Experts in Manufacturing ERP + Security compliance
The increasing importance of cybersecurity compliance in manufacturing is something we’ve tracked closely at Guide Technologies through our years of implementing manufacturing ERP systems like Infor CloudSuite Industrial. We’ve also learned from extensive experience and experimentation how to make cybersecurity feel sustainable, scalable, and (most importantly) certain for all manufacturers.
Put robust protections in place while relieving the strain of cybersecurity. Contact Guide Technologies.
