Manufacturing is an essential part of everyday life — from the cars on the road to the pens in your desk drawer, manufacturers keep the world running. When it comes to security, there are a lot of moving parts for manufacturers to consider —access management, supply chain, theft, intellectual property and more —in order to keep production on schedule.

Protecting intellectual property is a top priority for security leaders in the manufacturing industry. At Whirlpool Corporation, Chief Security Officer Erik Antons says the company has more than 7,200 patents, including unique creations which the company has spent countless hours and dollars to develop.