Applications of Cybersecurity Solutions in Manufacturing

The manufacturing sector is navigating a challenging cybersecurity landscape, largely driven by escalating digital transformation and persistent cyber threats.

Factories are embracing Industry 4.0 technologies at a rapid pace, unfortunately expanding their attack surface in the process.

Legacy operational technology (OT) systems are now interconnected with modern IT networks, often without robust security controls, leading to new vulnerabilities.

This integration is exploited by cybercriminals aiming to disrupt production, steal sensitive data and sabotage supply chains.

The manufacturing industry is especially targeted due to its economic vulnerabilities, such as the significant financial impact of downtime and the strategic importance of intellectual property and operational data.

Attacks have increased by over 125% annually, with strategies like ransomware, phishing, supply chain breaches and insider threats posing major risks, according to SOCRadar.

In this article, Cyber Magazine explores the leading providers of cybersecurity solutions and their applications in the manufacturing industry.

10. Darktrace

Founded: 2013
CEO: Poppy Gustafsson
Revenue: US$782m

Darktrace offers an AI-led cybersecurity platform that learns normal patterns of network and device behaviour in manufacturing environments.

This behavioural approach allows it to detect subtle anomalies that suggest cyberattacks, including ransomware and insider threats.

Manufacturers deploy Darktrace across both modern IT and legacy OT systems without needing to manually configure every setting.

The platform’s autonomous response function acts in real time to contain threats, helping reduce downtime and limiting operational impact.

This level of automatic defence is vital in manufacturing, where system availability and physical safety remain critical.

9. Zscaler

Founded: 2007
CEO: Jay Chaudhry
Revenue: US$800m

Zscaler secures manufacturing operations using its cloud-native Zero Trust Exchange platform.

This model enforces strict access controls, verifying the identity of users, devices and applications before granting entry.

It is particularly useful for protecting remote workers and third-party contractors who need access to industrial control systems.

Zscaler also inspects encrypted traffic, helping manufacturers defend against sophisticated attacks across multiple sites.

By segmenting access between IT and OT networks, Zscaler limits the spread of threats and supports compliance with industry regulations.

It also facilitates secure cloud application access for supply chains and factories undergoing digital transformation.

8. CyberArk

Founded: 1999
CEO: Udi Mokady
Revenue: US$1bn

CyberArk focuses on privileged access management (PAM), a crucial aspect of cybersecurity for manufacturers where control over critical system access is essential.

The platform protects credentials and enforces strict access policies, helping manufacturers secure both OT and IT environments.

Features include least privilege access, session monitoring and credential vaulting to stop insiders or compromised accounts from causing damage.

CyberArk also integrates with industrial control systems (ICS) and supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) platforms, giving manufacturers fine-grained control over who can operate or modify essential infrastructure.

7. Trend Micro

Founded: 1988
CEO: Eva Chen
Revenue: US$1.3bn

Trend Micro delivers threat detection across endpoints, cloud and network environments using AI-based tools.

Manufacturers use its solutions to protect endpoints such as industrial PCs, embedded systems and internet-connected devices (IoT) from malware and ransomware.

Its Smart Protection Suites allow security teams to monitor threats across hybrid cloud and on-premises systems common in manufacturing.

Trend Micro’s extended detection and response (XDR) platform brings together threat data from different sources, improving response time and incident visibility.

6. Check Point Software Technologies

Founded: 1993
CEO: Gil Shwed
Revenue: US$2bn

Check Point secures manufacturing infrastructure with next-generation firewalls and unified threat prevention platforms tailored to industrial risks.

Its solutions help manufacturers segment OT and IT networks to prevent malware from crossing between them.

Check Point’s CloudGuard extends this protection to multi-cloud environments used for manufacturing applications and data.

The company’s real-time threat intelligence keeps pace with ransomware, spyware and other advanced malware. Automated policy enforcement reduces operational risk and helps maintain system uptime.

5. CrowdStrike Falcon

Founded: 2011
CEO: George Kurtz
Revenue: US$3.5bn

CrowdStrike Falcon is a cloud-native endpoint detection and response (EDR) platform.

It uses lightweight software agents to continuously monitor endpoints such as industrial PCs, IoT devices and workstations in manufacturing environments.

Its threat intelligence tools support threat hunting and automated remediation, helping manufacturers respond quickly to attacks on legacy OT systems that may lack built-in protection.

Falcon also defends intellectual property and production systems from ransomware and unauthorised access attempts.

4. Fortinet

Founded: 2000
CEO: Ken Xie
Revenue: US$5.5bn

Fortinet provides systemic protection for manufacturers using FortiGate firewalls and its Security Fabric architecture.

This allows manufacturers to unify network, cloud and endpoint security.

Fortinet helps secure industrial production networks from both internal and external threats.

It segments OT networks to stop malware from spreading and maintain production flow.

The platform’s wide visibility over devices and network traffic improves security for industrial control systems.

3. Palo Alto Networks

Founded: 2005
CEO: Nikesh Arora
Revenue: US$6.9bn

Palo Alto Networks delivers cybersecurity tailored to manufacturers, with automated detection and response across both OT and IT environments.

Its Cortex XDR platform brings together endpoint, network and cloud data to detect advanced threats using artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Manufacturers use the system to protect against ransomware, insider threats and supply chain-based attacks.

Palo Alto also provides network segmentation tools to isolate critical production systems and block lateral movement by attackers, reducing the risk of factory-wide disruption.

2. Cisco Security

Founded: 1984
CEO: Chuck Robbins
Revenue: US$56.65bn

Cisco Security offers manufacturers software-defined networking solutions with built-in OT security features.

Its partnership with Rockwell Automation supports unified platforms that manage both IT infrastructure and industrial control systems.

Cisco’s software-defined manufacturing (SDM) platform helps manufacturers connect equipment, sensors and control systems securely.

It also delivers real-time analytics to improve visibility, identify inefficiencies, optimise resources and predict maintenance needs—all while reducing operational downtime.

1. Microsoft (Sentinel/Defender)

Founded: 1975
CEO: Satya Nadella
Revenue: US$250bn

Microsoft leads in cybersecurity for manufacturers with its integrated Sentinel and Defender XDR platforms.

Sentinel is a cloud-native security information and event management (SIEM) system that collects data from sensors, endpoints and cloud services for unified threat detection.

Defender provides endpoint detection, automated investigation and real-time threat hunting.

Manufacturers use both platforms to detect attacks on critical operational systems, protect design data and maintain production uptime.

Sentinel’s AI-led intelligence filters false alerts and highlights genuine risks. The system also supports secure operations for hybrid and remote manufacturing workforces.