Is your business involved in printing materials or manufacturing books and magazines? Maybe your business produces equipment for the leisure industry? Whatever industry you're involved in, the North West Cyber Resilience Centre wants all SMEs and businesses involved in the manufacturing sector to be aware of the latest threats.

Cyber Resilience - The Last Line of Defence

Make UK’s recent report, 'Cyber Resilience - The Last Line of Defence' revealed that just under half of Britain’s manufacturers (47%) have been the victim of cyber-crime during the last 12 months after thousands of organisations were forced to ,work remotely when the Covid crisis first struck.

The 2021 report also showed that 63% of respondents said cyber attacks cost their business up to £5,000, with 22% saying it cost their business between £5,000 - £25,000. For many businesses this could be a year’s earnings lost overnight during a cyber-attack.

Whilst these are frightening statistics, there is evidence to show that manufacturers are starting to adopt and prioritise cyber security to reduce the impact an attack could have on business. Make UK’s report highlighted that 61% of manufacturing companies now have a board director responsible for cyber security and over 60% feature cyber security on the agenda in risk management discussions.

With a rise in cyber attacks on the manufacturing sector and the continued efforts to digitise the factory floor in many sites, you need to consider potential cyber vulnerabilities at the very beginning of your manufacturing line. To help, we've put together a cyber-attack infographic that will help your employees to identify risks that they may have not considered before.

Top tips for avoiding a manufacturing cyber-attack

1. Lock your devices as if they are were doors

Make sure you have encrypted and password-protected all devices used by your employees. This includes machinery, smart devices, tablets and computers.

2. Implement an Incident Response Plan

Having an ,Incident Response Plan could reduce the cost of a data breach on your business, make sure you are testing your incident response plan so your staff know what their role is.

Our plan includes; preparing your business checklist, emergency contact list template, help with incident response communications and details of the legal Implications of a cyber incident.

To help you minimise the impact of a cyber-attack we have created a ,Cyber Incident Response Plan for you to use.

3. ,Train and educate your staff

You should regularly educate your employees about the most common cyber-attacks and the risks they post to your business. Common attacks include:

• Phishing emails/text messages
• Social Engineering
• Data breaches
• Ransomware

4. Practice makes perfect

Ensure that you have a cybersecurity policy that all staff are aware of when first joining your company and make sure it's regularly updated.

5. Double up your protection

Ensure two-factor authentication is utilised on all devices and online accounts. This will give you two distinct forms of identification that will be needed for access to be given to your accounts.

6. Keep your passwords strong and don't repeat them!

Use a strong password to secure your devices, three random words are advised. Passwords generated from three random words help users to create unique passwords that are strong enough for many purposes and can be remembered much more easily.

7. Don't forget those software updates

Regularly patching and installing software updates helps to keep your devices protected. Often these updates will ensure any new flaws and vulnerabilities are protected against. Software and app updates are designed to fix these weaknesses and installing them as soon as possible will keep your devices secure.

Did you know the North West Cyber Resilience Centre was established to help small businesses tackle the threats posed by cybercrime?

Businesses in the North West can sign up for our ,free Membership online and receive a welcome pack full of practical resources and tools that will help you identify your risks and vulnerabilities and the steps you can take to increase your levels of protection. Through your membership, you will also get regular updates on new threats, designed to help you stay safer.

We'd also encourage all businesses to perform a ,Cyber Health Check on your business's strengths and vulnerabilities. This audit helps to protect your business from the latest cyber threats by ,filling out a simple self-assessment questionnaire.

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