The Basics Most Manufacturers Overlook in Cybersecurity

Most manufacturers don’t lose data because a sophisticated threat actor outsmarts them. They lose it because basic controls were never fully implemented—or haven’t been checked in years. That’s not a technology problem. It’s an operational one.

As manufacturing operations grow, so does the supporting technology. New systems are added to handle production, enhance communication, or support a new line. Those systems become interconnected. And as the environment expands, so does the number of people and vendors who need access to it. Without a structured way to manage that access, gaps become unavoidable.

These gaps rarely stem from a single poor decision. They build up over time. A new employee gets broad system access to get up to speed. A vendor receives temporary credentials for a project, and no one revokes them. A team on the production floor shares a login to save time. Each choice seems reasonable on its own. Together, they create exposure that grows over time.

One of the biggest ongoing issues is a lack of clarity about who really has access to critical systems. When employees change roles or leave, access often doesn’t transfer. Accounts remain active. Permissions stay broad. Risks quietly increase. In most manufacturing settings, the pattern usually looks like this:

• Former employees and outdated roles still have active access
• Multi-factor authentication is applied inconsistently across systems
• Shared credentials are being used to simplify workflows on the floor
• Access permissions haven’t been reviewed on any defined schedule
• Leadership has no clear picture of who can reach critical systems

None of this is usually intentional. It occurs because the organization keeps changing and access management doesn’t keep up. Small inconsistencies get ignored and over time, they turn into significant vulnerabilities.

Inconsistent MFA enforcement is a common entry point that attackers exploit. When some systems require it and others don’t, that inconsistency becomes a vulnerability. A single unprotected system can open the door to the entire network.

Shared credentials pose a different kind of problem. They remove accountability. When multiple people use the same login, there’s no way to identify who accessed the system or made a change. This lack of traceability is a liability during an investigation—and a problem even before one begins.

Regular access reviews are among the most effective controls—yet often overlooked. Without a clear review schedule, organizations base decisions on assumptions. Access gradually falls out of sync with actual roles, making the environment more difficult to manage and more vulnerable to exploitation.

Cyber insurance requirements are evolving in ways that directly impact manufacturers. Carriers aren’t just asking if security tools are installed; they want to know how identity and access are managed in practice—whether MFA is enforced, how privileged accounts are handled, and if access controls are consistently applied. The standards are higher than they were two years ago.

Organizations lacking structured identity and access processes are increasingly facing higher premiums, coverage gaps, or outright denials. More importantly, they are less prepared to prevent an incident or to contain one when it occurs.

Fixing this doesn’t require a technology overhaul. It requires discipline around the fundamentals. Organizations that build consistent processes for managing identity gain something valuable in return: a clearer picture of their environment and fewer surprises.

The fundamentals that matter most:

• Access aligned to current roles—not historical ones
• MFA enforced across every critical system, without exception
• Shared credentials are eliminated wherever individual accountability is needed
• A defined, recurring schedule for access reviews
• Documented visibility into who has access to what—and why

Once these fundamentals are established, leadership has something they can truly depend on. The environment becomes easier to manage, easier to defend, and better equipped to meet the insurance and compliance requirements manufacturers are increasingly facing.

Secure Strategic Technology collaborates with manufacturers to develop and sustain these controls. We synchronize identity management and access governance with the CIS Critical Security Controls—a proven framework that helps organizations lower risk without interfering with operations. If you’re unsure where your gaps are, that’s a good place to start.