The manufacturing sector is the third most targeted for attack, with only government systems and finance more vulnerable. Yet manufacturing - which has 2.6 million employees, provides 10% of UK output and 70% of business research and development - is amongst the least protected sector against cyber-crime in Britain.
The new report, Cyber-Security for Manufacturing, published by EEF, the manufacturers’ organisation and AIG and carried out by The Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), pinpointed the susceptibility of manufacturers to cyber risk, revealing that 41% of companies do not believe they have access to enough information to even assess their true cyber risk.
And 45% do not feel that they do not have access to the right tools for the job.
The report warns that cyber threat is holding back companies from investing in digital technologies, with a third of those surveyed nervous of digital improvement. Moreover, a worryingly large 12% of manufacturers admit they have no technical or managerial processes in place to even to start assessing the real risk.
The report also looks at a number of real-life examples, including two where companies production systems were infiltrated and severely disrupted after hackers gained access to their IT systems by initially hacking into unprotected office software, used to keep HR and admin records.
Comments EEF chief Stephen Phipson: “More and more companies are at risk of attack and manufacturers urgently need to take steps to protect themselves against this burgeoning threat.
“EEF has a vital role supporting manufacturers in the face of this challenge and we are working closely with RUSI, whose world-leading Cyber Security Research Programme is well established as a key voice to understand the fight against the threat of ever evolving cyber-crime to the modern business..
“We know businesses cannot afford to ignore this issue any longer and while we welcome government’s progress in improving cyber-security resilience, to date through the work of the NCA and NCSC, there needs to be an increasing focus given to the specific needs of manufacturing, which hitherto has been lacking.
“Failing to get this right could cost the UK economy billions of pounds, put thousands of jobs at risk and delay the supply of essential equipment to key public services and major national infrastructure projects. I hope this report underlines the critical risk to government and industry”.
