80% of manufacturers experience unauthorized access to data

80 percent of manufacturers have had at least one security incident in which unauthorized people gained access to data, according to a Fortinet survey.

80 percent of companies in the manufacturing industry experienced a security incident in the past year in which unauthorized people accessed data. Fifteen percent had six or more accidents. Phishing, spyware, and ransomware are the main reasons for this. This is the conclusion that Fortinet reached based on a limited study in collaboration with the Manufacturers Alliance, which surveyed 155 organizations in the United States.

Today, 78% of those surveyed rank cybersecurity among the top five risks they face. Surprisingly, 22% don't, and we wonder what other five things could also put their business out of business. There is progress. In 2020, only 70 percent understood the seriousness of cyber threats.

More ransomware

36% of the modest group of participants had fallen victim to ransomware in the past year. This is much more than 23% in 2020. Criminals have now realized that manufacturing companies can be crippled by a cyber attack, and that paying ransoms is sometimes an attractive tactic for victims.

Fortinet cites a lack of communication between IT and OT as one of the causes of the problems. Moreover, production companies operate with outdated equipment. Twenty-year-old systems are no exception, and you can't simply patch them. Finally, it is not always possible to find the right talent to manage security risks.