Research taken from the 2022 Make UK ‘Cyber security in UK manufacturing’ report reveals that 42% of manufacturing businesses had experienced cybercrime in the previous year. While the majority said that the security measures and processes in place enabled them to come through the attack without any business impact, 26% of those surveyed said they sustained significant financial losses ranging from £50,000-£250,000.

This clearly demonstrates how one incident has the potential to completely devastate small manufacturing businesses in an instant, leaving them with no viable way to continue.

Why is manufacturing under threat?

The sector has become a highly attractive target to cybercriminals due to the increasing reliance on technology to enhance business growth, production speed and efficiency. Those running smaller businesses, especially, may not be fully versed on how vulnerabilities can crop up when adopting new, digital systems and this gets exploited by crooks.

There is also the intricate, interconnected nature of the manufacturing supply chain too, which means the risk of something going wrong is very high if cyber security measures are not in place throughout the entire network to protect against intruders. If one of the links doesn’t adhere to basic security, it’s the equivalent of leaving the building alarm off and the office door unlocked. It’s an open invitation for someone to gain unauthorised access and the ripple effect can be far reaching.

What Cyber Essentials is and how it helps

One of the best ways to increase cyber resilience is to ensure the fundamental practices of good cyber hygiene are implemented and Cyber Essentials certification is a great option to simplify the process at a minimal cost to your business.

Cyber Essentials is a government-backed scheme that assists with putting measures in place to reduce your risk profile and protect against common cyber-attacks such as ransomware, malware and phishing. It’s a business self-assessment of five basic security controls and a qualified assessor can verify the information provided – we work with local Cyber Essentials partners that we can refer you to for this part but you can find your own if that is your preference.

Choosing to become accredited removes the pressure of trying to cover all bases when it comes to cyber security, because the requirements are listed for you. Those undergoing the process will become aware of the common threats facing businesses now and how to spot them if they make it through your defences. Once the certification has been achieved it means your employees, customers, and client base can be assured that you have considered the cyber security of your company, identified any existing vulnerabilities, and have worked proactively to rectify any issues.

Most cyber-attacks target businesses that are lacking in the basics but becoming Cyber Essentials certified will require you to have these in place, therefore reducing your likelihood of becoming a casualty of cybercrime. The qualification does come at a cost to your business but it’s affordable, and the investment is far lesser in comparison with the potential costs of a cyber-attack.

We have previously hosted an introductory webinar about Cyber Essentials with the scheme’s accrediting body IASME, which you can watch to learn more about it and to hear frequently asked questions being answered. If you’re ready to apply for certification, the ‘How to prepare for a Cyber Essentials assessment’ video is also available for your viewing.

How the Cyber Resilience Centre for Wales can assist further

Thousands of individual businesses and organisations in Wales are part of our membership programme and they are supported in making the small changes that make the biggest difference. We provide resources, guidance, practical toolkits, cyber threat updates, a monthly newsletter and more to keep you up to speed with what’s happening in the cyber landscape. You can sign up for free now.

Alongside this we have a variety of budget-friendly additional services to strengthen your small business cyber posture. If you have any further questions about Cyber Essentials or membership, please drop us a line.