One Security Measure to Help Tackle the Rising Cyber Threats in Manufacturing

Cyber threats are evolving and becoming more sophisticated, making traditional security measures for manufacturers inadequate.

According to the Wall Street Journal, “ransomware attacks against manufacturers, utilities and other industrial companies were up 50% last year.” With the rise in cybercrime, businesses must be more vigilant with their security because the consequences can be crippling if critical information is not recovered.

In 2023, Industry Week reported that one major reason that cybercriminals target manufacturing companies is that “manufacturers often pay when attacked because even small incursions can have huge repercussions.” So, how can IT teams amp up their security? Behavioral analytics has emerged as a pivotal technology, offering companies a new way to detect and thwart cyber threats.

Establishing normal behavior within an organization’s network can identify anomalies or deviations that signify a security threat, such as a cyberattack, insider threat or breach attempt. While attack vectors may change, anomalous behavior constantly indicates potential security incidents.

• The Shift to Remote and Hybrid Work Models
Even within manufacturing, some roles have gradually shifted to remote or hybrid work models. These shifts have expanded organizational perimeters, creating new vulnerabilities. Traditional security tools focused on perimeter defense are less effective in this dispersed IT environment. Behavioral analytics allows organizations to monitor user activities regardless of location, helping to secure remote workforces by identifying potentially malicious actions that deviate from established norms.

• Adoption of Cloud Services and SaaS Platforms
The widespread adoption of cloud services and Software as a Service (SaaS) platforms has led to decentralized data storage and processing. This has made it challenging to monitor and secure sensitive information. Behavioral analytics can now be integrated across cloud and on-premises environments, offering visibility into user interactions with data and applications across multiple platforms. Having this holistic view is essential for identifying unauthorized access and data exfiltration attempts in the cloud.

• Early Detection of Insider Threats and Compromised Credentials
Insider threats are notoriously difficult to detect using traditional security measures since they originate within the organization. Behavioral analytics can identify subtle changes in a user's behavior, such as unusual access patterns or data movement, that may indicate malicious intent or a compromised insider account. Attackers can use stolen usernames and passwords to gain entry into systems, applications and databases without detection. Since the access appears legitimate, it can be challenging for security systems to identify and block the intrusion.

• Adaptive Threat Response
Behavioral analytics provides the agility needed in threat detection and response, allowing security systems to adapt to new and evolving threats in real time. By automating the detection of anomalous behaviors, organizations can significantly reduce the workload on their security teams, allowing them to focus on investigating and mitigating true threats. This enhances security efficiency and reduces the likelihood of alert fatigue — a common problem in security operations centers (SOCs).

• Complementing Other Security Measures
Behavioral analytics doesn't operate in isolation but complements other security measures, such as endpoint protection, perimeter firewall, email security, SIEM and encryption. Adding an additional layer of security that is behavior-based rather than signature-based creates a multi-layered approach and significantly enhances an organization's security posture.

• Future-Proof Protection
As cyber threats grow in complexity and stealth, behavioral analytics is a critical tool to have in your cybersecurity arsenal. By understanding the nuances of normal and abnormal behavior within their networks, organizations can detect threats earlier, respond more rapidly and adapt their defenses against the sophisticated attacks of tomorrow. Embracing behavioral analytics enhances the response to today's threats and prepares for future security challenges.

If you need assistance with managing your manufacturing company’s IT environment and ensuring its security, CDW offers vendor-agnostic security solutions and managed security services to help keep your organization secure.

To learn more about how CDW Managed Services can support your IT department and bolster your defenses, visit our webpage or call us at 800-800-4239.