Industry 4.0 and cybersecurity
Managing risk in an age of connected production
The fourth industrial revolution brings with it a new operational risk for connected, smart manufacturers and digital supply networks: cyber. The interconnected nature of industry 4.0–driven operations and the pace of digital transformation mean that cyberattacks can have far more extensive effects than ever before, and manufacturers and their supply networks may not be prepared for the risks.
For cyber risk to be adequately addressed in the age of industry 4.0, cybersecurity strategies should be secure, vigilant, and resilient, as well as fully integrated into organisational and information technology strategy from the start.
Thinking about how to address cyber risk at the end of the strategic process is simply likely too late. Cybersecurity should become an integral part of the strategy, design, and operations, considered from the beginning of any new connected, Industry 4.0–driven initiative.
It is important that we balance our focus between the external threat landscape and the very real—and typically overlooked—cyber risks created by businesses who are increasingly using smart, connected technologies to innovate, transform, modernise, and otherwise make tactical or strategic business decisions that could result in such risk. These new and emerging risks should be managed and mitigated.
In this report, we examine the modern connected digital supply networks, smart factories, and connected device themselves, focusing on the unique cyber risks faced by each. Moving through the production life cycle—from the digital supply network, to the smart factory, and finally to the connected object—we explore the actions operations and information security executives can take to anticipate and effectively address cyber risks as well as proactively integrate cybersecurity into their strategy in the age of Industry 4.0. Find out more from the report.
