Manufacturers serve as critical building blocks of modern society. They are integral to the existence of the products we consume, the essential services we need, and the infrastructure on which we rely. Our reliance on them also means that, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), “a direct attack on or disruption of certain elements of the manufacturing industry could disrupt essential functions at the national level and across multiple critical infrastructure sectors.” Although security incidents that occur in consumer-facing industries like retail and financial services tend to attract the most attention, those suffered by manufacturers can be far more damaging. The challenge is that the manufacturing industry tends to be particularly susceptible to various cyber and physical security risks.
