While different industries, including the financial field, medical facilities, and other critical branches of our life found effective ways to counteract the attacks, the manufacturing industry is still trying to keep up with the pace. Having a natural barrier due to the specificity of the production, the manufacturing field has been highly protected and out of the cyber attackers’ interest.
But the time has changed, and we can now notice how critical cybersecurity in manufacturing could be. There is no proof that the manufacturing field has nothing to offer to the hacking world. But this is a mistaken thought.
Why Cybersecurity is Critical for Small Factories
Why is cybersecurity important in manufacturing? First off, the risks have become clear in recent years when the manufacturing companies understood how vulnerable they could be in the face of cyberattacks. The sector has become one of the most targeted in the world making its owners and managers reconsider their cybersecurity positions.
Due to the pandemic shift, the industry had to introduce a remote mode to most of its workers. It was a big step the sector was not ready to take. The whole industry is at the moment under the same level of risk, as other branches. For this reason, it’s important to know about the types of threats to the manufacturing field and ways to combat the risks.
Types of Cyber-Attacks and Risks for the Manufacturing Industry
What are the main threats to information security? Being a manager in the industry or being related to the field somehow, you should be aware of the risks that may occur within the branch. The more knowledge the industry possesses, the better it can handle potential risks and threats from the hacking experts. By learning more about the points in the following lists, you will be able to identify them and deal with them.
Phishing
You might have heard about this type of manufacturing cyber attack. This is common for many industries to receive phishing emails because it’s rather a simple and widely spread hacking attack. By receiving fishing, you will get an email either from your company or from its business partner. This is an advanced way to share fake emails among workers.
These emails look almost identical to the original ones. Hence, the chances are high that a random fake email may be overlooked by an online worker. When the hackers get access to the data of the user through a phishing email, they can work with the files and process sensitive data almost imperceptibly.
Internal breaches
External attacks are the most common in any branch, but there’s a huge percentage of internal attacks that come from the employees. It’s often a financial motivation that drives the employees or other staff to take part in the hacking activity. It’s easy to develop an attack on your current or former employer when you have access to the devices or any important information about the work of the enterprise. For this reason, a well-developed tracking mechanism should be designed to check the activity with the system and track how the employees work.
Ransomware
What’s ransomware as a part of the security manufacturing threat? This is a common attack that can considerably affect the way the company works. When ransomware has been applied, the company loses control over some of its files or data. The access can be resumed, if only the needs of the hackers are met. It could be a long and tiring process. This type of attack is especially dangerous for the manufacturing industry, because the whole network may be lost for an unlimited period.
How to Protect the Production from Cyber Attacks: Effective Methods
You may wonder if there are any ways to protect the network and prevent different dangerous attacks. The risks are high, so the methods should be striking and targeted. Let’s check what are the most effective ways you can use to save your company from a cyber attack.
The use of VPN
You must know about the VPN locations. Why do you need to use VPN servers Canada? A tool from the VPN server list will help to protect the connection. Your router will be safely protected with the VPN servers in USA implemented successfully. If you want to protect the server, use the relevant tools. There’s the best VPN for such cases. If you choose the VeePN extension, your connection and router are safe. It’s better to invest in a VPN on Wi-Fi router than to struggle with the dangers.
Strong passwords and authentication
Strong passwords are a must. You can’t let the employees use simple or obvious passwords to protect the system. Furthermore, they should be regularly changed. Don’t forget about two-factor authentication. It should help protect the access to the accounts better.
Relevant updates
There are always different updates that systems need to work efficiently. If there’s any new update, it must be used on time to prevent the system from working with flaws. It’s a mandatory step when working with manufacturing companies.
Summary
It’s a rule of thumb to protect the manufacturing industry from cyber attacks. It may not seem obvious, but the risks are high for this sector. The more the company is prepared, the higher the odds to counteract the hacking attack. In the article, you will find the most common cybersecurity dangers and effective ways to deal with them.
