Cybercrime and the manufacturing industry worldwide - Statistics & Facts
The manufacturing industry has a target on its back. For several years, the sector has found itself on the hit list of cybercriminals worldwide, resulting in around 260 data violation incidents in 2023 in the United States alone. If successful, attackers demand money, usually in cryptocurrencies, for stolen data points or sell the data on the dark web. When approximately five million individuals were impacted that year, it is clear that while a comprehensive digitalization of the manufacturing industry has brought great benefits, such as improved productivity and performance, this digital revolution has also brought significant challenges.
Despite cybersecurity tools being known for their effectiveness, in 2022, only 40 percent of supply chain companies deployed risk management tools. Companies in this sector should develop more advanced cybersecurity strategies to better protect themselves and their customers from cyber incidents. By often overlapping and being tied to other sectors, the manufacturing industry is inherently vulnerable to cyberattacks, and with AI-backed technologies putting cybercrime to the next level, companies, especially critical infrastructure, will continue to be targeted.
No subsector left untouched
In 2023, about a quarter of all cyberattacks worldwide involved manufacturing companies. Ransomware, one of the most common types of cyberattacks in this sector, hit almost all subsectors, targeting metal products and automotive productions more frequently. North America accounted for 40 percent of ransomware attacks on industrial organizations and infrastructures worldwide, and in 2022, the global average cost per industrial data breach was around 4.73 million U.S. dollars.Cybercriminals search for supply chain weaknesses
For many manufacturers, the supply chain is where most of the vulnerabilities are located. The disruption of one party can cause downtime in the whole business. Between 2022 and 2023, the number of supply chain attacks in the United States doubled, amounting to 242 overall attacks. These cyberattacks impacted 2,769 entities in the market. The Solar Winds cyberattack in 2021 is by far one of the most significant supply chain attacks in history, affecting approximately 18,000 customers.Spotlight: the automotive industry
Just like in the Solar Winds hack, when the automotive manufacturing industry is targeted, it is consumer information that is most often compromised. In March 2023, automotive manufacturers saw 11 cyber incidents, with the most common consequence being the service or business disruption. Most cyberattacks in the automotive sector occur remotely, with chipset suppliers (Tier - 2) the most vulnerable part of the vehicle manufacturing process.Despite cybersecurity tools being known for their effectiveness, in 2022, only 40 percent of supply chain companies deployed risk management tools. Companies in this sector should develop more advanced cybersecurity strategies to better protect themselves and their customers from cyber incidents. By often overlapping and being tied to other sectors, the manufacturing industry is inherently vulnerable to cyberattacks, and with AI-backed technologies putting cybercrime to the next level, companies, especially critical infrastructure, will continue to be targeted.
