Industry 4.0 has been transforming manufacturing operations. Production machines are becoming digitized, enabling real-time monitoring, predictive maintenance, and enhancing production efficiency. However, while this transformation significantly boosts operational resilience, poorly secured machines are highly vulnerable and exposed to sophisticated cyber-attacks.
According to a recent study by OMDIA, 80% of industries are experiencing cyber-attacks, and only 45% are adequately prepared for cyber resilience globally.
Scenario & Impact
Consider an employee, operator, or maintenance engineer connecting an infected USB drive to Industrial Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs)—the heart of automating the production process—or Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems that collect data from sensors within the manufacturing environment. Alternatively, an operator may provide remote connectivity for an OEM or vendor for troubleshooting or maintenance purposes over an unsecured network, offering a gateway for an attacker with malicious intent.
Both scenarios could potentially lead to service disruption or unpredictable machine behaviour, resulting in loss of production, impact on product quality, and, in extreme situations, jeopardizing human safety.
Exposure Consequences
- Effecting site and human safety in extreme situations by tweaking the standard operating parameters of the equipment.
- Impact on the quality of finished products resulting in customer dissatisfaction.
- Operational disruptions and unplanned downtimes causing a domino effect across other integrated production processes, impacting overall operational continuity and leading to revenue loss.
- Lack of production data affecting the entire supply chain process, from planning to delivery and distribution of finished goods.
- Damaging the brand’s reputation in the market.
The Challenge: Vulnerabilities in Industrial Systems
Cyber Resilience as a Priority: While cybersecurity is often a priority for IT departments, industrial environments frequently overlook the potential risks posed by removable media and unprotected networks, often operating with minimal protection against cyber threats.
Cyber Security Awareness Culture: There is a lack of employee awareness of minimum cyber hygiene across manufacturing teams, from head of manufacturing to operators.
Lack of Simple and Adoptable Procedures/Guidelines: There are no standard procedures or hardening guidelines due to diversified machines from various OEMs, which also lack periodic security assessments and updates both from OEMs and the industries.
Preventive Measures & Strengthen Industrial Security
- A top-down approach for Cyber Security within manufacturing: Prioritize strategic decision-making and implementation driven by leadership, ensuring alignment with overall business goals and a consistent security culture throughout the organization.
- Identify and document critical manufacturing equipment: Protect them physically and logically with a least-privileged approach for administrative consoles.
- Cease unused USB and Ethernet ports physically: Allow only on a need basis followed by security assessments and approvals.
- Enforce remote connectivity guidelines: Use VPNs or secure networks to provide remote connectivity followed by security assessments.
- Enforcement of mandatory checks: Mandatory security checks on the systems and USB devices required to connect to production machines for configurations or troubleshooting.
- Technical security controls: Periodic vulnerability fixes released by OEMs, enforce EDR and AV solutions on supported industrial systems.
- Network Security: Enforce segmentation of machines based on manufacturing departments/functions and move them behind Firewall with continuous monitoring for threats and vulnerabilities.
- Audit & Assessments: Periodic cyber security audits and assessments to check the effectiveness of enforced cyber-security controls on production machines.
