Cybersecurity in the age of Industry 4.0: how to defend and ensure data protection with smeup

Industry 4.0, also known as the fourth industrial revolution, is characterized by a strong emphasis on interconnectivity, automation, machine learning, and real-time data usage. It encompasses concepts such as the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and intelligent manufacturing, blending the physical world of production and operations with advanced digital technology, machine learning, and data analysis to create more interconnected business systems. These new technologies offer significant advancements in production, but also present new risks to address, such as exposure to cyber attacks.

Despite being the second most targeted sector for cyber-attacks, the manufacturing industry lags in its readiness against cyber threats. Malicious actors can move laterally within production networks, navigating between IT and OT systems to carry out harmful activities. Without adequate safeguards, attackers can engage in industrial espionage, theft, and loss of intellectual property, or even sabotage production.

Smart factories face the same types of risks, such as exploiting vulnerabilities, malware, device hacking, and other common techniques seen in other networks. The various vulnerabilities in Industry 4.0 make it particularly challenging for manufacturers to detect and defend against cyber-attacks.

In this context, organizations face several new security challenges:

- Every connected device represents a potential risk.
- Production systems, like industrial control systems, have unique vulnerabilities that make them susceptible to cyber-attacks.
- Industry 4.0 connects previously isolated systems, expanding the attack surface.
- Updates are often installed in a fragmented manner due to system complexity.
- The manufacturing sector has fewer regulated standards for compliance compared to other business areas.
- Visibility between separate systems and isolated environments is limited.

To effectively tackle these challenges, the manufacturing sector can adopt the following best practices:

- Embrace a risk-based security mindset, tying business criticality to defense strategies.
- Maintain an accurate real-time inventory of all operational and technological resources.
- Integrate best IT and OT security practices across all attack surfaces.
- Identify and rectify outdated systems, unpatched vulnerabilities, and poorly protected files.
- Adopt a security-focused approach when implementing new connected systems.
- Remain constantly vigilant in detecting potential threats, with real-time vulnerability assessments and risk-based prioritization.
- Ensure that technology providers and connected equipment manufacturers regularly perform security and software patch audits.

For a future-proof company, you can rely on smeup. 
Through dedicated industrial network solutions offered by the smeup’s team, you can successfully manage the challenges of Industry 4.0 and the great opportunities it presents, aiming to:

- Enhance the understanding of the production process.
- Overcome the lack of connected and real data, which affects supply chain and production process knowledge.
- Optimize the use of human and material resources.
- Address challenges in predicting maintenance and downtime.
- Resolve issues in adopting new technologies and innovations.