Physical security, cybersecurity education, IT/OT separation and outsourcing when necessary are crucial to effective cybersecurity.

A Wall Street Journal article discusses a new set of attacks on electrical distribution providers. These attacks have targeted providers too small to be NERC regulated but may serve a critical infrastructure such as dams or military bases. All but one of the entities that were named in the article says the phishing e-mails were blocked by malicious content filters and were never an issue for them. However, one facility chose not to comment.

Cybersecurity is a core element in any business that uses the Internet or digital technology in the conduct of its operations.

The COVID-19 pandemic has supercharged the demand for digital offerings and Industry 4.0 technology.

As much as the COVID-19 pandemic will be remembered for its chilling effect on business and economic activity, apparently it has had quite the opposite impact on industry’s zest for digital transformation and Industry 4.0 technologies.

In 2018, the global cybersecurity market was already estimated to be worth an impressive £91.21 billion, with projections for the year 2024 pegged at £205.59 billion. The application of the Internet of Things (IoT), bring your own device (BYOD), machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) in business has brought a whole new level of hyperconnectivity between industries, their employees and customers. This high degree of connectivity, however convenient and useful to both manufacturers and customers, comes at a great cost as it opens up systems to outside tampering. Coupled with increasingly sophisticated cyber threats and attacks, these innovations will continue to fuel the importance of cybersecurity in all business domains, including manufacturing, and this cannot be ignored. 

Cybersecurity poses a serious threat to the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) enabled devices and robotic automation equipment. Attackers who gain access to industrial networks have a number of devastating options available to them, from changing production data to causing harmful production errors.

In the world of manufacturing, Industry 4.0 is bringing exciting changes to how companies operate. When implemented correctly, the initiatives that go along with Industry 4.0 have the potential to make manufacturing safer, more cost-efficient and more effective. The combination of traditional manufacturing with the modern Internet of Things and a holistic approach is a big move forward for companies.