Small to medium-sized manufacturers are at little-to-no risk of a data breach, right? Wrong. Out of a sample of 17 industries, the manufacturing industry, is significantly impacted by cyber criminals. In a 2018 report constructed by the IBM-sponsored study by the Ponemon Institute, data breaches globally average around $3.68 million in costs for manufacturers. It is vital to understand why the manufacturing industry has a great risk for data breaches.
Manufacturers are often targets for cyber-attacks because they have fewer resources to invest in cybersecurity. One computer, or an outdated system is all it takes for a manufacturing facility to be hacked. This is a liability for the manufacturer and its customers alike.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), is here to help. NIST has developed a five-step framework for cybersecurity that can be implemented by a business of any size. For more detailed information regarding cybersecurity safety, check out this article from Industry Week.