How Manufacturing Organizations Can Increase Their Cybersecurity

The report details how ransomware and business email compromise increasingly target manufacturing organizations, using examples such as a 2023 Clorox ransomware incident that caused prolonged operational downtime and tens of millions in losses, and other industry incidents (Brunswick, Applied Materials, Toyota). It explains why manufacturers are attractive targets—digital transformation, extensive IoT and legacy systems, interconnected supply chains, and low tolerance for downtime—and recommends defenses including 24×7 monitoring, IAM best practices, risk-based vulnerability management, security awareness training, and preplanned incident response with third-party retainers.