According to Capgemini, human negligence, cyber skill gaps and unsavory C-level Axis have put manufacturing firms at risk of serious breaches.
Global Consultancy has collected feedback from cyber security leaders of 950 companies to compile. His report, Smart and secure: Why smart factories should prioritize cyber security.
It revealed that more than half (51%) of respondents predicted an increase in the number of attacks on smart factories in the next 12 months, with the same number (47%) claiming that security was not a C-level concern in their organization.
Such connections between business and cybersecurity leaders are common across isolated industries. In a study published last month, 54% of UK and US CISOs complained that their boards were not disclosing adequate funding for critical initiatives.
Capgemini Cybersecurity Business Lead, Geert van der Linden argued that Operational Technology (OT) and Industrial Internet of Things (IIOT) devices have expanded the surface of cyber-attacks and made smart factories a significant target for threatening actors.
“The benefits of digital transformation are that manufacturers want to invest heavily in smart factories, but without back-up from the cybersecurity offset, the effort could be thwarted in the blink of an eye,” he added.
“Unless this is made a board-level priority, it will be difficult for companies to overcome these challenges, educate their employees and vendors, and streamline communication between cyber security teams and C-suites.”
In addition to C-level indifference to cyber security issues and related budget constraints, the report warns that human-shaped challenges undermine risk mitigation efforts.
It takes two forms. The first is employee negligence: In the last 12 months, 28% of companies affected by cyber attacks have noticed an increase in employees or vendors carrying infected devices. This includes laptops and handheld devices used to install and patch smart factory machinery.
The second public-related challenge is cyber efficiency: 57% of respondents said that the lack of smart factory cybersecurity talent is more acute than IT security talent. The report claims that many organizations in the sector also lack a dedicated security leadership.
