Is Your Manufacturing Company Using the Best Cyber Security?

Your manufacturing company has a lot of moving parts. And if yours is like most, you increasingly rely on technology to keep the lines moving. With the increase and diversification of consumer needs in the world today, there is a constant need to improve everything from order taking to shipping.

Today’s manufacturing firms face numerous challenges. They must ensure that the needs and the desires of consumers are met, but there are all new and very serious dangers from the increase in the number of cyber security attacks. No company is immune. Whether you run a large or small manufacturing firm, you could be the victim of a cyber-attack. Malware, phishing scams, and ransomware are the major ways you might be attacked.

Why Are Cyber Criminals After My Manufacturing Business?

The manufacturing environment is changing more rapidly than it did during the Industrial Revolution. And with information technology changing just as fast, your company faces increasing challenges. One of the biggest to date is cybercrime. Hackers all over the world spend a lot of time and money searching for ways to infiltrate your network. Once they get in, they’ll steal your data and hold it for ransom.

Ransomware is now a leading cause of problems for manufacturing companies. Small firms think they’re safe because surely these cyber crooks will go after larger companies. But that’s just not true. Statistics show that hackers will go after anybody. It doesn’t matter how large or small your firm is. It doesn’t matter what industry sector you work in.

While you’re worrying about efficiently producing the best products, hackers are looking for a way to steal from you. You need to focus on your business needs and goals – strategies that improve efficiency, reliability, and productivity. But security has become a number one concern for manufacturing firms all over the world.

How Do You Stop Hackers?

These days, hackers and even automated web bots are all trying to gain access to your network and ultimately access your private customer and business information. When successful, the attackers can lock down your data or worse they can release your customer information to the world. So how do you stop them?

Begin with a high-level evaluation of your current business environment that includes a complete assessment of your overall security health. IT security experts will perform penetration testing and vulnerability assessment scans. Once the assessment is complete, the managed IT service company will recommend a complete security plan that provides a comprehensive security solution to ensure safeguards against current and future threats. If you wish, they can also implement all the security features necessary.

Below are some important things that every manufacturing business could and should be doing:

• A bundled security program that includes an anti-virus solution, intrusion prevention firewall, data encryption, email and web protection.
• A Cyber Security plan that spells out exactly what will happen in case cyber criminals break into your computers. This should include rapid response, someone who handles the media and compliance issues, a team of IT experts that can come in and assess the damage, then make recommendations.
• Full protection for all PCs, laptops, tablets, servers, and other computer devices.
• Mobile Device Monitoring with security for your mobile devices and support for your BYOD (bring your own device). You should be able to remotely erase data from any phone or computer that has been lost or stolen.
• Daily onsite and offsite backups of your computer system. Do you have a current version of your entire data base including software programs? If you have this, you can get the IT staff to reinstall everything from scratch.
• Remote monitoring and management of your network and computers to detect intrusions and block them before criminals can steal your data.
• Security risk assessments to identify vulnerabilities and modify your overall security posture.
• Security Awareness Training to educate your staff on security awareness which is crucial to your data privacy.

Why Has The Crime of Hacking Become More Sophisticated?

Today’s cyber criminals are often backed by huge governments like those in China or North Korea. Hacking has become big business in these countries. There’s almost no risk and those who are really good at it can net millions of dollars a year. It’s the perfect crime. There’s no way to stop these criminals. All you can do is protect yourself with the best security tools and programs.

Cyberattacks are on the rise. The techniques and tools available to malicious actors are continuously evolving. It makes sense to protect your assets. The number one thing that business owners can do is realize that they could very well become a victim of some type of cybercrime and take action to prevent this. Stay a step ahead of hackers and keep your manufacturing business safe.