Automation, connectivity, and artificial intelligence (AI) are powering a new era of smart manufacturing, driving unprecedented gains in productivity and innovation. In fact, many are already beginning to realize the benefits of speedier product introductions; new digital revenue opportunities; and faster, decentralized decision-making.
“Manufacturers are deploying autonomous mobile robots and complex IoT [internet of things] devices with automation capabilities and over-the-air software updates, which promise unprecedented gains in production flexibility,” says CJ Cui, US and global lead for Industrials at Accenture Security. “But these new technologies should only be deployed with properly vetted security configuration checks and penetration testing. This is a classic example of how IT and cybersecurity leaders can give a boost to both competitiveness and resilience, with the right approach.”
And as factories become more connected, their digital footprints expand, exposing new vulnerabilities that can jeopardize production, safety, and trust. As a result, cyberattacks have succeeded in taking smart factories offline, halting assembly lines and cascading through supply chains that depend on tightly synchronized schedules. Manufacturers must protect their assets but also secure themselves against the indirect effects of attacks against third-party IT services providers and weaknesses in their supply chain.
Against this backdrop, cyber resilience becomes just as important for the modern manufacturer as digital transformation — and it’s time for CIOs and other IT leaders to treat it that way. By investing in both intelligence and resilience as the twin catalysts of growth, manufacturers can enable autonomous operations, adaptive supply chains, and new digital revenue streams.
The question, then, isn’t whether to transform but, rather, how to build resilience into every step of that journey.
Embedding resilience
First, cyber risk must become a shared responsibility, and effective recovery plans must prioritize business continuity. In other words, CIOs must have just as much visibility into their organization’s threat exposure as into, say, a potential supply chain disruption — an especially important consideration since transformation of manufacturing often depends on integrating IT and operational technology (OT) environments. By breaking down internal barriers that exacerbate security gaps, organizations can ensure observability of all their digital assets.
Then, as they increasingly expand their digital capabilities, they must position and invest in cybersecurity as an asset that enables and accelerates business transformation and growth.
“Your resiliency strategy must empower your intelligence strategy and vice versa,” says Benjamin Corll, Zscaler CISO-in-residence. “That’s especially true with this industry shift toward smart, connected factories. And that’s exactly where zero trust shines. It strips away unnecessary complexity to reveal a clear, enforceable principle: Manage trust, verify everything, and make security seamless.”
Learn more about implementing cyber resilience in manufacturing through zero-trust transformation. Or read about cyber resilience in the public sector and financial services.