Manufacturing Companies Need Industrial-Strength Cybersecurity

We’re in the midst of a manufacturing renaissance, as trailblazing connected technologies like artificial intelligence, robotics, automation and the Internet of things combine with the ability to process massive amounts of data in near real time, thanks to next-level networks.

US factories installed nearly 40,000 robots in the past year, up 10% from the year earlier, according to the International Federation of Robotics, and hiring in manufacturing has inched up, as well. Roughly 13 million people work in the US manufacturing sector as of August, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the highest number since 2008.

However, the promise of smarter, safer and more efficient factories depends on cybersecurity. As more factories and machines connect to the cloud, manufacturers have become tempting targets for hackers. These threats have put cybersecurity at the top of the agenda for business and technology leaders in manufacturing, according to Jeff Taylor, Director & GM, Sales System Engineering at AT&T.

“Cybersecurity is organic to almost every type of manufacturing solution, because anytime a device is going to have a relationship with the outside world via the cloud or the internet, security becomes paramount,” says Taylor.

Manufacturing companies need to demonstrate expertise in cybersecurity to be successful in this new era. According to the Bloomberg Brand Accelerator, security is a top driver of business confidence in manufacturing, but companies underperform in this area.“Zero Trust is becoming the benchmark or standard that a lot of the companies are operating from,” says Taylor. “It’s making sure that a company doesn’t automatically trust any partner or machine that’s connecting to its environment.”

To create a seamless security environment, manufacturers need to look at their entire operation through three distinct lenses, says Taylor.

The first is physical security. That means securing the plant and controlling who has access to different areas of the facility, and what information they’re able to access.

Next is cybersecurity. Companies need to understand their traffic flows and ensure that there are appropriate roadblocks, proper firewalls and DDoS (distributed denial-of-service) attack protections across every element of their business, so their systems and intellectual property are safe.

The final factor is securing the entire manufacturing supply chain; all the third parties that a company does business with represent potential security threats. Customers expect manufacturers to protect their information; according to the Bloomberg Brand Accelerator, customer privacy is the No. 1 driver of security in manufacturing for business decision makers.

The need for security at all levels of the business is pushing many manufacturers to adopt a “Zero Trust” cybersecurity architecture, Taylor says. Zero Trust means an organization doesn’t automatically trust any user device—inside or outside its network.

Digitization is creating a revolution in manufacturing, but business leaders must overcome security challenges to maximize the potential of automation, robotics, AI, and other connected technologies and data analytics to improve operations and drive growth.“It’s amazing to be part of this acceleration into a connected and digital manufacturing environment,” Taylor says. “When you tour these factories, you can feel the pride the workers take in the product they’re making. They’re excited about this transformation, too.”

An effective cybersecurity strategy is essential for companies to truly benefit from this bright, connected future of manufacturing, and their networks are important tools to build cyber resilience.

“You can leverage the AT&T network to give you tools to manage your environment and mitigate some of your risk,” Taylor says. “And knowing that AT&T is monitoring your internet traffic and making sure that the traffic that is flowing through your pipes is clean, you mitigate your risk of DDoS [attack]. You mitigate your risk of malicious behavior just because the security is moved from the cloud to the network.”

One of the remarkable things about the growth of technology and robots on the factory floor is that automation isn’t necessarily replacing the human workforce. These new technologies, powered by fast, reliable and secure networks, are creating opportunities for people, too. According to Bloomberg, the US will need to fill 3.5 million manufacturing jobs over the next decade.