Protecting Manufacturing with Cloud SIEM + XDR

Increased reliance on digital and cloud technology in manufacturing – including operational technology (OT), internet-of-things (IoT) devices, and digital supply chains – has given cybercriminals new opportunities to ply their trade. Theft, vandalism, and sabotage aren’t new to manufacturing, but a proliferation of digital attack surfaces has magnified the challenge of threat detection and protection.

Cybercriminals have plenty of reasons to see small or medium-sized manufacturing firms as potentially lucrative targets. Along with so many potential openings for attack, they assume there will be fewer resources for protecting infrastructure, implementing advanced detection and response measures, and hiring experienced security personnel. And if cybercrime isn’t enough to worry about, competitors are finding new ways to get their hands on proprietary data, designs, and methods.

You need a cybersecurity solution that’s quick to set up and easy to use – one that provides clear, actionable threat detection and a team available to provide expert support 24/7. Blumira is all that and more. Let’s take a look.

There’s more than one thing to worry about

In 2023, manufacturing saw the highest share of cyberattacks among industries worldwide – nearly a quarter of reported incidents. Perhaps it’s not surprising then that a Deloitte survey of manufacturing executives found only about half (52%) were either very or extremely confident that their organization’s assets were protected. 

According to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), small to medium-sized manufacturing businesses are especially susceptible to cyberthreats because they often are less prepared for an event, have valuable information that is not well protected, and have a strong incentive to avoid costly disruptions. Extensive manufacturing supply chains also act as additional entry points. 

Cybersecurity strategies need to consider the entire ecosystem of a manufacturing organization, from proprietary data to operational controls all the way to connected consumer products. According to Deloitte’s Cyber Risk in Advanced Manufacturing Report, industry executives are concerned about intellectual property theft (34%) as well as phishing and pharming attacks (32%). One way or another, it’s vital to detect and quickly contain intrusions. But just like in other industries, executives (29%) are concerned about how difficult it is to hire competent cybersecurity professionals.

A comprehensive cybersecurity strategy has to address multiple potential threats, including:

• Ransomware – In 2022 alone, the number of ransomware incidents impacting industrial infrastructure doubled, and the curve continues to rise. Even when manufacturing companies fork over the ransom, they often experience costly production delays. 
• Intellectual property (IP) theft – Both competitive companies and state actors are trying to get their hands on valuable IP. Fully 45% of manufacturing respondents to a 2023 451 Research study say they’ve encountered IP-related hacking activities. 
• Supply chain attacks – CSO Online reported an astounding 600% increase in supply chain attacks in 2022. SecurityScorecard found that 98% of organizations have a relationship with a third party that has already been breached. 
• IoT exposure – IoT access to networks has transformed every connected device into a potential gateway for attackers, exposing corporate networks and industrial control systems (ICS) to cyberthreats. 

Manufacturing firms must take a holistic approach to cybersecurity – protecting, defending, and responding with technology, intelligence, and best security practices.

Building a holistic risk and management strategy

Blumira SIEM + XDR can be core to your risk management strategy. We recommend:

• Making a cybersecurity plan – Access frameworks from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST CSF), the Center for Internet Security (CIS), the International Society of Automation’s ISA/IEC 62443, the International Organization for Standardization ISO/IEC 27001, and the SANS Institute. 
• Implementing security best practices – Learn about the importance of cyber risk assessments and security segmentation to protect critical assets.
• Limiting damage with faster detection – Companies using Blumira have dramatically shortened the time to detection to a window of 5-30 minutes, and they have access to expert human support to assist with threat analysis.
• Automating threat response – Blumira will respond immediately and contain priority threats so your team has time to safely investigate before bad actors are able to move laterally through your environment. Blumira also provides playbooks with each detection, and a 24/7 team of security specialists that help investigate and resolve critical issues. 
• Containing insurance costs – You can keep insurance costs in line by demonstrating protection, risk management, threat awareness, and regulatory compliance. The Blumira website includes suggested responses to common insurance application questions as well as other in-depth informational resources.
• Streamlining compliance – Blumira SIEM + XDR gathers the data needed for compliance and produces clear, pre-formatted reports. We offer reports for 11 frameworks including: ISO 27001 & 27002, NIST 800-171, CMMC, and CIS Critical Security Controls.
• Mitigating third-party and supply chain risk – Since every part of your supply chain has the potential to introduce vulnerabilities to your environment, it’s important to include every vendor in your risk management strategy. 
• Involving employees – While 85% of all breaches in 2023 involved external actors, 74% included a human element like an error, privilege misuse, use of stolen credentials, or social engineering. You can establish a security culture by including security education in onboarding, training, and regular employee communications. 
• Supporting your IT team – Empower your team with a modern solution that makes it easy to monitor your environment, produce insightful reports, and quickly react to threats. With Blumira SIEM + XDR, automations, prioritized alerts, and step-by-step playbooks take the guesswork out of incident response. Your team can also call for guidance from Blumira experts who are up to date on the latest threats.
• Communicating to stakeholders – Communication scenarios for responding to security incidents should be documented as part of your cybersecurity planning process, then rehearsed and revised frequently. Our Comprehensive Guide to Cybersecurity for Manufacturing includes resources for communication planning.

A holistic risk management strategy allows you to be proactive rather than reactive in the face of cyberthreats. Blumira SIEM + XDR is a cloud-based solution for cyberthreat detection and response that’s well suited to manufacturing environments. See how it compares with other options.

8 things to look for in a cloud-based cybersecurity solution

As you compare Blumira to other cybersecurity solutions, here are some factors you’ll want to consider:

Easy setup – Getting started should happen in a day, not weeks. With Blumira you can be up and running quickly and you don’t have to hire an expensive consulting team to make it work for you.

Easy to use – Multiple members of your team can learn how to navigate Blumira, understand the alerts, and follow response playbooks.

Advanced detection and response – Some platforms only detect endpoint threats. Blumira provides comprehensive coverage and includes multiple integrations.

Focused alerts – Watch out for solutions that alert you to every single ping. They could drive your team crazy chasing noise. Blumira consolidates and prioritizes notifications so you can focus on the most important detections.

Unique features – Ask about features like Blumira honeypots that act as decoys, setting a trap for infiltrators. 

Expert support – Be sure the people behind the product are cybersecurity experts, and available when you need them. Blumira becomes an extension of your team with access to solution architects, security operations, incident detection, and technical support.

Time-saving automations – A solution isn’t a solution if you’re still doing all the work. Blumira automations make your life easier, even blocking threats while you’re getting a good night’s sleep.

Logging and reporting – Blumira SIEM + XDR stores unlimited amounts of data for at least one year, with the option for longer term storage available. It also includes standard reports and support for designing custom reports that meet specific needs.

Blumira is easy to set up and use, and it includes robust features that help you and your team save time and comply with regulations. As you build out your cybersecurity plan, let us know how we can help.

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