TECHNOLOGY
“Firewalls alone can ' t provide the protection that digital-first , smart factories and connected manufacturers need ”
RAJ KRISHNA VP OF STRATEGY & PLANNING , CISCO MERAKI
So What Can Manufacturers do to Protect Themselves from Cyber Threats ? “ Cybersecurity is not a one-and-done occurrence ,” says Bono . “ Once initial measures are put in place , it is time to shift focus to building the foundation for cybersecurity excellence . As technology advances so do potential cyberattacks , and your employees are the first line of defense in protecting your business , emphasising the need to make sure they are trained and prepared ,” he added .
Agreeing with Bono that there is no ‘ onesize-fits all ’ approach to cybersecurity , Gansen says that “ First , manufacturers need to invest in modern security tools that do deep-packet inspections to identify vulnerabilities . If they use firewalls as their primary strategy , then they ’ re in trouble . Secondly , they need to embrace the fact that security isn ’ t just a concern for executives or managers . It ’ s something every employee needs to be trained on so that they ’ re making the right choices ,” he also comments that “ they need to work with experts to find solutions that work for their unique situations and give them full visibility into the network and everything on it . If it doesn ’ t look right , it probably isn ’ t . Having that visibility will let managers act on it .” Adding to Gansen ’ s comments , Bono says " After spending 2020 playing defense against cyberattacks , it is time to take a step back and create a secure foundation for the future . Looking ahead one to two years , companies should begin evaluating how they are addressing cybersecurity at every level of their organisation and allocating sufficient resources for it .” “ What ’ s required is a sophisticated and powerful security strategy for data and networks – the ability to evolve with speed , and at scale with security . This is the foundation for manufacturing organisations to win with confidence and become true differentiators from their competitors ,” concludes Krishna . manufacturingglobal . com 71