Manufacturing Under Siege: State-Sponsored Hackers Target Intellectual Property
Manufacturing companies are under siege from state-sponsored hackers and cybercriminals. Intellectual property theft and operational sabotage are the primary goals, with manufacturers facing an average of 1585 weekly cyber-attacks in 2025, a 30% increase from the previous year. Ransomware groups are targeting manufacturing for operational shutdowns, costing companies millions of euros per hour.
Leading manufacturers and security providers like Siemens are collaborating to secure Industry 4.0 companies. They focus on integrated security solutions, network segmentation, firewalls, intrusion detection, and zero-trust principles tailored to industry-specific needs. However, supply chains remain vulnerable entry points, with compromised suppliers or IoT devices posing significant risks. Latin America and APAC were the most affected regions, with Taiwan experiencing the highest number of attacks. Geopolitical tensions further exacerbate these threats, as seen in recent cases involving Clorox, Nucor, and Sensata Technologies.
To protect operations, revenue, and reputation, manufacturing executives must prioritize cyber resilience. This includes integrating resilience into operations, securing supply chains, protecting intellectual property, and strengthening preventive defense. In this era of heightened cyber threats, resilience has become a competitive advantage, with uptime, trust, and innovation determining market share.
