~ How cybercriminals are targeting factory equipment ~
In February 2024, five production plants at German battery manufacturer Varta came to a grinding halt. A cyberattack had infiltrated its operational technology (OT) systems, forcing the company to disconnect critical infrastructure. Just a few months later, U.S.-based forklift manufacturer Crown Equipment suffered a similar fate, with a breach disrupting manufacturing operations across multiple sites. Here, Nathan Charles, customer success manager at cybersecurity specialist OryxAlign explains how cybercriminals are no longer just targeting IT networks, they’re targeting the robots and industrial equipment that keep factories running.
While Industry 4.0 focused on automation, IoT and data-driven smart factories, Industry 5.0 shifts towards greater human-machine collaboration, sustainability and resilience. Instead of replacing human expertise, advanced robotics and AI are being integrated to work alongside people. Smart factories now use cloud-connected robotics, sensors and IoT devices to drive innovation, but this heightened connectivity also increases vulnerability to cyber threats, making robust OT security more critical than ever.
Manufacturing operations that once relied on isolated, air-gapped systems are now highly networked. A single breach can cause catastrophic disruption, halting assembly lines, corrupting product quality or even compromising intellectual property. In fact, industrial cyberattacks have increased by 75% in the past year alone.
Cybercriminals are exploiting OT vulnerabilities for two primary reasons: financial gain and industrial sabotage. Ransomware attacks on manufacturing firms are highly lucrative, with downtime costs reaching as high as millions per day, forcing businesses to pay to regain control of their systems. Attacks on production lines can subtly alter robotic functions, leading to defective products or compliance failures that go undetected until costly recalls are required.
Manufacturers often assume their IT security tools, i.e. their firewalls, endpoint detection, and antivirus will extend to OT environments. They won’t always. Unlike IT systems, most OT environments were never designed with cybersecurity in mind. Many factories operate on outdated control systems that are incompatible with modern security protocols. OT networks prioritise uptime over security, meaning vulnerabilities remain unpatched for long periods to avoid disrupting production.
The increasing convergence of OT and IT networks further complicates security, allowing a single breach to cascade across both environments. As a result, manufacturing plants are highly susceptible to cyberattacks, often without realising it until the damage is done.
To combat the growing cyber threat, manufacturers need specialised OT cybersecurity strategies, not just IT security retrofitted onto industrial environments. OryxAlign is at the forefront of this effort, providing advanced security solutions tailored for industrial automation.
The company’s securyXDR platform, a managed Extended Detection & Response (XDR) system, offers real-time monitoring across IT and OT networks to detect and neutralise threats before they spread. Zero-trust architecture restricts device access to verified endpoints, ensuring only authorised systems interact with robotics and industrial controls. AI-powered anomaly detection enhances security by leveraging artificial intelligence to spot irregular patterns in robotic operations, identifying cyber threats before they cause disruption.
The threat landscape is evolving rapidly, with cybercriminals weaponising AI to automate attacks. But defenders are responding in kind, leveraging AI-driven security systems to predict and prevent breaches. Governments are also stepping in, tightening regulations for OT cybersecurity under frameworks like the UK’s NIS 2 Directive. For manufacturers, cybersecurity must be embedded into automation strategies from the ground up.
As industrial automation continues to evolve, so do the cybersecurity challenges that come with it. Ensuring the resilience of your OT environment is key to maintaining seamless operations. To learn more about how OryxAlign can help protect your smart factory with advanced security solutions, visit its website www.oryxalign.com.
