People, processes, technologists

The digitalization of manufacturing has led to the emergence of new threats to the smooth operation of enterprises. To find out the main risk factors and understand how things stand with the cybersecurity of smart enterprises, we interviewed 500 employees of such enterprises from Germany, Japan and the United States. Half of them were in charge of information technology, the rest were in charge of operations. Analysis of the responses showed that the key factors that determine the security level of smart factories are people, processes and technologies, as well as the level of interaction between IT and OT.

The modern industry is becoming more and more IT-dependent. The equipment, in addition to components and assemblies, acquires intelligence and the ability to connect to the plant’s network and to the Internet. IIoT devices are creating new cyber-physical systems that serve as the foundation of Industry 4.0.

Along with intelligence comes the problems inherent in computer systems, and the presence of network connectivity and firmware creates risks associated with the possible exploitation of vulnerabilities and malicious impact on the enterprise as a whole.

According to the survey, 61% of “smart” enterprises encountered incidents, and in 75% of them there was a production stop, which in 43% of cases lasted more than four days.