Cyber attacks are increasing in scope and severity. Polestar recently sold a business which had suffered a significant cyber attack; the cost was not just in lost production, but management time to sort and repair the issue as well as the inevitable damage to reputation.
As manufacturers continue their journey towards digital transformation, Christina Hoefer, VP, Global Industrial Enterprise, Forescout Technologies, explains in the Manufacturer how they can improve the security of their connected environments in the article outlined in exerts below:
“In February, Toyota halted production in all 14 of its Japanese plants after a significant parts supplier fell victim to a cyber attack.
The target of the Toyota attack was Kojima Press Industry Co., which manufactures metal, plastic and electronic components for vehicles, but it indirectly impacted Toyota’s just-in-time production control system. To prevent the infection spreading to other network components, the car manufacturer made the decision to halt production, which resulted in a five percent drop in car production and significant financial losses for the company.”
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As businesses become more automated and manufacturers increasingly rely on interlinked technology the dangers of cyber compound. So at Polestar we are advising businesses preparing for sale to consider carefully getting a secure fence around their business. Failure to do so could seriously jeopardise the value of your business.
Because operational technology assets were never connected, they were not built with security or even integrity in mind. Adding security later can be exceptionally difficult because many assets cannot accommodate an agent. Some leading manufacturers are finally implementing ‘secure by design’ principles to newer technology, but that is still the exception.
