Over half (51%) of industrial organizations believe that the number of cyberattacks on smart factories is likely to increase over the next 12 months. However, 47% of manufacturers say cybersecurity in their smart factories is not a C-level concern.

According to a report from Capgemini, "Smart & Secure: Why smart factories need to prioritize cybersecurity," the connected nature of smart factories is exponentially increasing the risks of attacks as manufacturing facilities become more connected. The report surveyed 950 organizations across the heavy industry, pharma and life sciences, chemicals, hi-tech, consumer products, automotive, and aerospace and defense sectors.

The research found that 51% of facilities build cybersecurity practices in their smart factories by default. Unlike information technology (IT) platforms, all organizations may not be able to scan machines at a smart factory during operational uptime.

A lack of C-suite focus, limited budget and human factors are noted as the top cybersecurity challenges for manufacturers to overcome.

The report proposes a six-step approach to develop a robust cybersecurity strategy for smart factories:

• Perform an initial cybersecurity assessment
• Build awareness of smart factory cyberthreats across the organization
• Identify risk ownership for cyberattacks in smart factories
• Establish frameworks for smart factory cybersecurity
• Create cybersecurity practices tailored to smart factories
• Establish governance structure and communication framework with enterprise IT

For more report insights, click here.