May 23, 2024
Dr. Darrin Hanna, a professor in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at Oakland University, recently joined leaders from technology, manufacturing, government, and academia for a roundtable discussion hosted by Automation Alley about crucial issues in cybersecurity, including the latest trends and best practices in securing the digital future.
“The blissful days of a one-and-done solution for cybersecurity are over,” Hanna said. “Manufacturing systems operating on an Industrial Internet of Things brings a new level of OT and IT complexity, requiring cybersecurity systems to evolve alongside. More so, employers have inherited with technological progress a heavy responsibility to educate themselves and their workforce on new cyber threats.”
According to research compiled by Comparitech, cyberattacks against the manufacturing industry were responsible for a whopping $46 billion in losses from 2018 to 2023.
“Cyber criminals, aware of manufacturing’s terse deadlines and expensive downtimes, see the industry as a ripe target for exploitation,” he said. “Data demonstrates this, showing 60 percent of manufacturers in 2023 were willing to pay the ransom in a ransomware attack. This contributes to a vicious cycle of more bad actors focusing on attacking the manufacturing industry for monetary gain.”
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| 'Creating a Secure Future: Navigating Cybersecurity Resilience' |
Insights gathered during the March 27 cybersecurity roundtable, part of Automation Alley’s Integr8 series, were used to create a digital playbook, “Creating a Secure Future: Navigating Cybersecurity Resilience,” designed to help companies and organizations minimize risk and capitalize on the benefits of digital transformation.
“This playbook aims to identify major cybersecurity threats and routes of attack, develop a game plan to incorporate cybersecurity strategies that protect companies from inside and outside attacks, and to explore new strategies in training and educating the workforce at large in cybersecurity,” said. Tom Kelly, executive director and CEO of Automation Alley. “Manufacturers adopting new technology with new capabilities must also adopt new security measures to protect that technology.”
Topics discussed during the cybersecurity roundtable include:
• The evolution of cyber threats
• The human factor in cybersecurity
• Integration of cybersecurity in manufacturing
• Regulatory guidance and standards
• Continuous adaptation and vigilance
• Education sector cybersecurity imperatives
• Cybersecurity collaboration in government
“Leaders in industry must ask themselves what will be the tipping point where they buck the fear of competition to collaborate on solutions that will address these issues,” Hanna said. "Creating a stronger cybersecurity future will not happen in silos. An industry-wide problem requires an industry-wide solution.”
“Creating a Secure Future: Navigating Cybersecurity Resiliance” is available to view and download at www.integr8series.com/playbook/creating-a-secure-future.