Does this sound like you? After intense negotiations with dozens of vendors, grueling engineering discussions with the production team, painful budget approvals, and months of redrawing the assembly lines, you moved your semi-automated production process into something contemporary.
Your modern, world-class manufacturing line is a textbook example of a smart Industry 4.0 factory: automated robotic processes, AI-powered IoT asset management, conversational chatbot delivering rich, contextual insights to both front-line workers and managers, self-healing systems driven by machine learning, seamless automated vendor integrations, and AI-optimized production workflows. All of this is unified in a single dashboard that provides a real-time, global view of all your plants and is accessible anywhere, anytime, with just a few clicks.
You think you have got it all figured out and can take that over-due holiday on the beach? Right?
Wrong.
Sorry to be dramatic. But this is what the cyberbots are heard saying: “Thank you for creating a fertile territory for us to proliferate. We couldn’t be luckier.”
In Industry 4.0, Speed is Only Half the Battle
The ‘Floating assembly lines’ of Industrial Revolution 4.0 are designed to meet demand in the shortest time possible. Approved supplier systems automatically log in and ship components to a live assembly line to meet the production targets of an OEM producer. Most of these decisions are orchestrated by interconnected systems, including IoT hubs, decision algorithms, machine-to-machine (M2M) learning systems, advanced networking (IR, 5G NR, cloud computing), and modern production technologies like 3D printing. Generative AI enhances these systems by enabling real-time production optimizations, generating predictive maintenance alerts, and simulating process improvements through digital twins and scenario modeling.
But consider the possibility that a supplier’s system is infected with malware and enters this system.
It could proliferate the OEM supply chain, other supplier systems, and respective corporate IT infrastructure services in minutes. The potential for damage is even more significant if, by some means, it mutates and destroys safety mechanisms in the plant and endangers human lives. Generative AI, while beneficial for creating digital twins and running predictive models, could also be weaponized by cybercriminals to generate highly sophisticated malware or falsify operational data, potentially causing catastrophic outcomes.
According to the Deloitte and Manufacturers Alliance for Productivity and Innovation (MAPI) study, 48% of surveyed manufacturers fear that cyber attack is a real threat and the greatest danger they envisage for smart factories. And damage due to a cyber incident in manufacturing was estimated to be about $330K.
Manufacturers Must Be Cognizant of the Single Biggest Threat
The single biggest threat appears to come from here: Operational Tech (OT) and Information Tech (IT) systems do not talk to each other. OT refers to hardware and software used to change, monitor, or control physical devices or processes within a production facility. IT refers to systems such as ERP and CRM that support administrative, financial, operational functions within the manufacturing enterprise.
The disconnect between IT and OT systems is proving to be a haven for threat actors to enter into less secure OT systems. In this regard, it is becoming increasingly imperative for manufacturers to bridge OT and IT systems. Solutions such as AI-powered middleware could be handy because they don’t just transfer data between IT and OT systems, but also look for anomalies in data flows and automate patch management to improve security postures.
Traditionally, OT systems have been proprietary lacking open standards to work with third-party plug-ins. Tightly coupled legacy systems become a natural barrier for easy upgrades. Some of them require change-impact study for every minor upgrade. Security controls for such systems are vendor-driven patches that are often slow to come by.
Also, maintenance contracts of OT systems lack cybersecurity focus. These contracts rarely include regular security patches or firmware updates to address software vulnerabilities. The contracts also fail to include specifics about integration with IT security protocols such as firewall rules and intrusion detection systems. The IT team on the other hand, simply believes that ‘all is well as they focus on the rest of corporate ERP, DB, networking, and productivity systems.
A Few Prominent Cybersecurity Hygiene Imperative to a Smart Manufacturing Facility:
- Solution Design: Restrict device and system access to authorized personnel only. Ensure cloud or network access follows rules-based access control.
- Access & Authorisation: Ensure default passwords are changed in all IIoT devices, the new passwords conform to IT Security policy, and access control of edge devices is regulated. Default password vulnerabilities in 3rd party connected devices are a leading cause of security vulnerability.
- Production Planning: Ensure company-wide secure remote access policy is defined, followed, and documented. Ensure cyber intelligence information exchange, record incidents, document phishing attempts, and develop thwart methods.
- New Technologies: 3D printing and enhancements to the existing production line should be zoned separately with one-step isolation. For network 3D printers, it may be required to run separate cyber assessment tests and share reports with corporate IT security teams.
- RPA, ML, NLP, and AI: These new technologies have clear benefits on the shop floor but will bring in their threats. Deploy rigorous application whitelisting, access control, portable memory control (USB drives moving in and out), controlled access to the internet on such systems, and accurate real-time inventory management.
- Asset Management: Ensure security rules and policies are risk-based rather than compliance-based. Maintain a qualified, dedicated team to create surprises in addition to routine checks. This team should be aware of company-wide incidents and trained to observe seemingly unconnected events to extract real intelligence in a security scenario.
Since digital and cybersecurity elements will become all-pervasive sooner or later within organizations, it is a matter of time before they start impacting manufacturing processes.
Don’t Downplay Thorough Cybersecurity Assessments
Cybersecurity assessments is an independent exercise and should not be downplayed in a regular corporate IT security audit. Ideally, a cyber assessment should be conducted every six months, covering OT in the IIoT environment. The results must be recorded, gaps plugged, and findings shared with corporate IT and cybersecurity services intelligence groups in the industry for collective security benefits.With manufacturing IT solutions, AI-driven vulnerability assessments can enhance the efficiency of these audits, providing predictive insights into potential threat vectors.
It is also advised to build security protocols across the corporation, cover micro-assets and entry points for physical and digital products, and make sure the protocols are part of an overall security umbrella policy applicable to all branches and personnel.
Cybersecurity Cannot be an Afterthought
In essence, no matter where you are in your smart manufacturing journey, you cannot afford cybersecurity as an afterthought. Instead, it must be a proactive and continuous strategy seamlessly integrated into every aspect of your smart factory operations.
Seek a Partner who knows how to integrate Cybersecurity solutions within every aspect of your smart factory operation.
It would be prudent to tap the rich experience of industry experts who have consistently delivered Industry 4.0 solutions. For example, at Trigent, our industrial security experts have delivered solutions in:
- RPA: complementing human judgment with automation-led efficiency)
- Augmented Reality (AR): helping find unique ways to connect humans and machines for big and small manufacturers
- AI-driven solutions in predictive maintenance, generative AI for digital twins, and conversational AI for seamless operations
All of this helps manufacturers strike the right balance between innovation and security. From Trigent’s experience working with varied manufacturing clients – one critical lesson holds true always. A perfect transition to Industry 4.0 entails a proactive and intelligent balance of both innovation and security.
Ready to Secure Your Smart Factory?
Don’t let cybersecurity be the weak link in your Industry 4.0 transformation. By partnering with Trigent, you can integrate robust security measures seamlessly into your smart manufacturing operations to safeguard your innovations from evolving cyber threats.
Balance Innovation with Unbeatable Cybersecurity
