Manufacturing Cybersecurity
Discover the critical cybersecurity challenges shaping the manufacturing sector, and how cyberelements protects industrial operations with proven expertise gained from years of securing production environments and supply chains.
Critical Infrastructure: The Manufacturing Sector
In manufacturing, rising automation, interconnected supply chains, and legacy systems have made the sector the world’s most targeted by cyberattacks (IBM X-Force Threat Intelligence Index, 2025). Cybercriminals exploit publicly exposed applications, valid credentials, and remote access points, turning identity and access management into a top priority.
Key facts and challenges:
Most targeted sector: Manufacturing ranks first globally for cyberattacks, driven by insecure remote access and misconfigured entry points.
Severe operational impact: Attacks can halt production, damage equipment, or disrupt supply chains, resulting in major financial and reputational losses.
High compliance pressure: Many sub-sectors are now covered by NIS2, alongside ISA/IEC 62443 and NIST 800-82 standards, requiring strong identity and access controls.
SME vulnerability: Small and mid-sized manufacturers, often key suppliers, face the same threats as large enterprises but with fewer resources and older technologies.
Leading manufacturers rely on the cyberelements platform to secure both IT and OT environments through a Zero Trust IAM approach that strengthens access control, ensures compliance, and preserves operational continuity.
With multiple plants, subcontractors, and legacy industrial systems, securing access across our manufacturing network had become a critical challenge. The integration of IT and OT environments increased our exposure, especially with remote maintenance and supplier connections. We chose cyberelements to centralize and automate identity and access control while protecting production assets and maintaining compliance with NIS2 requirements. It’s one of the rare platforms that aligns Zero Trust principles with the operational needs of the manufacturing industry.
Case Study: Key Challenges in the Manufacturing Sector
Digital transformation in the manufacturing sector has led to increased interdependence between IT and OT systems
The manufacturing industry faces growing cybersecurity risks driven by automation, global interconnectivity, and the convergence of IT and OT systems.
Complex, Distributed Environments
Manufacturers operate across multiple plants, subsidiaries, and regions, often running 24/7 operations. This geographic and organizational complexity expands the attack surface and makes centralized identity and access management more challenging.IT/OT Convergence and Traceability Requirements
Digital transformation has blurred the boundaries between IT and OT. Ensuring full traceability is now essential to secure industrial control systems (ICS) and meet compliance demands.Securing Remote Access
Maintenance teams, suppliers, and integrators require remote connections to critical systems. Traditional VPNs, with their intrusive and persistent network access, no longer meet modern security or auditability needs. Manufacturers need Zero Trust remote access that is isolated, temporary, and fully monitored.Operational Pressure on IT Teams
Amid rising cyber threats and continuous transformation, IT departments in manufacturing must do more with fewer resources. Automating identity lifecycle management and simplifying access governance are key to improving resilience and reducing administrative burden.Fragmented Supply Chains and External Access
A broad network of suppliers and service providers often needs remote access to IT and OT systems. These connections must be secured and monitored to prevent unauthorized access.
The cyberelements Main Features for The Manufacturing Sector
Managing Workforce Volatility Across Sites and Subsidiaries
Remote access to engineering stations and industrial control systems (ICS) is vital but risky. Traditional VPNs expose OT networks to threats and lack granular control. cyberelements applies a Zero Trust model to secure every connection while keeping operations seamless.
Key advantages of cyberelements:
Clientless, secure access: Users connect through an isolated HTML5 web portal with no direct network exposure.
Protocol break by design: Ensures complete separation between user terminals and OT systems, blocking lateral movement.
Full activity visibility: All sessions are recorded, providing audit-ready traceability of every remote connection.
Adaptive authentication: Supports multiple MFA modes to strengthen identity assurance across all access points.
Secure Credential Vault and Session Recording
Managing privileged credentials across industrial systems is a critical security challenge. Shared passwords, static credentials, and manual tracking create risks of exposure and misuse. cyberelements eliminates these vulnerabilities through automated credential management and real-time monitoring.
Password vault with automatic injection: Credentials are never exposed to users and are rotated automatically.
Session recording and playback: Every privileged action is monitored and auditable for accountability.
Centralized visibility: Administrators can track all access to critical systems from a single console.
No credential disclosure: Secrets remain protected, even when third parties or external vendors connect remotely.
Converged IT/OT Access Management with Strong Segmentation
Manufacturers need unified control over IT and OT environments without compromising their isolation. cyberelements centralizes access management while enforcing strict separation between systems, ensuring both security and compliance.
Key advantages of cyberelements:
Unified governance: Manage IT and OT identities, policies, and sessions from a single platform.
Multi-tenant, multi-gateway design: Keeps regulated and non-regulated systems fully segregated.
Granular access policies: Apply specific security rules for each environment, site, or business unit.
Regulatory alignment: Simplifies compliance with standards like NIS2 and ISA/IEC 62443.
Comply with cyberelements
Supporting NIS 2 Compliance in the Manufacturing Sector
As an essential part of global supply chains, manufacturers must now demonstrate robust cybersecurity governance, especially in identity and access management.
cyberelements helps manufacturing organizations meet NIS2 requirements by securing every connection between users, systems, and environments, both IT and OT, through a Zero Trust, identity-first approach.
Zero Trust identity and access management: Addresses NIS2 requirements for access control and network segmentation by eliminating direct connectivity between users and critical systems.
Integrated MFA and credential protection: Fulfills NIS2 mandates for strong authentication and protection of access credentials through adaptive MFA and password vaulting.
Converged IT/OT access governance: Supports NIS2 principles of supply-chain security and operational continuity by centralizing access while maintaining strict IT/OT separation.
Compliance-ready architecture: Facilitates audit readiness and ongoing risk management aligned with NIS2, ISA/IEC 62443, and NIST 800-82 frameworks.
The manufacturing sector’s growing exposure to cyber threats demands a proactive and unified approach to access security. cyberelements enables manufacturers to strengthen resilience, protect production environments, and ensure continuity even under evolving regulatory and operational pressures.
By combining Zero Trust principles, advanced identity management, and seamless IT/OT integration, cyberelements empowers organizations to not only achieve NIS2 compliance but also build a sustainable cybersecurity foundation for the future of industrial operations.
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