Top 10: Cybersecurity Solutions

The Manufacturing industry is facing an unprecedented cybersecurity landscape driven by rapid digital transformation and persistent threats. 

As factories increasingly adopt Industry 4.0 technologies, their attack surface has expanded exponentially. 

Legacy operational technology (OT) systems, which often lack robust security controls, are interconnecting with modern IT networks, creating new vulnerabilities. 

Cybercriminals exploit these weaknesses to disrupt production, steal sensitive data and sabotage supply chains. 

Manufacturing is particularly targeted due to the high financial impact of downtime and the strategic value of intellectual property and operational data. 

Attacks surged by over 125% annually, with ransomware, phishing, supply chain breaches and insider threats leading the charge (SOCRadar).

In this Top 10 Manufacturing Digital takes a look at the top cybersecurity solutions and their applications in the manufacturing industry to combat these threats.

10. Darktrace

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

Darktrace’s AI-driven cybersecurity platform autonomously detects and responds to threats in manufacturing environments by continuously learning normal network and device behaviour.

Manufacturers deploy Darktrace to protect often heterogeneous and legacy-rich OT networks alongside modern IT infrastructure without extensive manual tuning. 

Its behavioural AI identifies subtle anomalies indicative of cyberattacks such as ransomware or insider threats.

The platform’s autonomous response capability can contain threats in real-time, minimising production downtime and operational impact. This rapid and adaptive defence is particularly critical for manufacturing sectors where availability and safety are paramount.

9. Zscaler

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

Zscaler’s cloud-native Zero Trust Exchange platform secures manufacturing enterprises by enforcing strict identity and access controls for users, devices and applications.

Manufacturers use Zscaler to protect remote workers and contractors accessing industrial control systems and corporate resources. 

Its ability to inspect encrypted traffic and prevent sophisticated attacks helps safeguard manufacturing operations distributed across multiple sites.

Zscaler’s Zero Trust approach segments network access, limiting threats from spreading from IT networks to critical OT systems responsible for production. 

This segmentation supports regulatory compliance and strengthens operational resilience.

Zscaler also enables secure cloud application access for manufacturing supply chains and digitally transforming factories.

8. CyberArk

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

CyberArk specialises in privileged access management (PAM), a critical cybersecurity area in manufacturing where control system access must be tightly secured to prevent insider threats and unauthorised changes.

Manufacturers use CyberArk to safeguard credentials and elevate protection of critical OT and IT accounts. Their solution enforces least privilege access, session monitoring and credential vaulting policies to prevent misuse by malicious insiders or compromised accounts.

CyberArk’s PAM platform integrates with ICS and SCADA systems, enabling granular control over who can modify or operate industrial controls. 

This helps maintain system integrity and prevents cyberattacks aiming to disrupt production or cause physical damage.

7. Trend Micro

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

Trend Micro offers comprehensive cybersecurity for manufacturing, focusing on endpoint, cloud and network protection with AI-powered threat detection.

Manufacturers benefit from Trend Micro’s ability to secure endpoints, including industrial PCs, embedded systems and connected IoT devices, protecting against malware and ransomware.

Trend Micro’s Smart Protection Suites enable security teams to monitor and manage threats across hybrid cloud and on-premises environments common in manufacturing ecosystems. 

Trend Micro’s XDR platform correlates logs and detections across domains, improving incident detection and response times.

6. Check Point Software Technologies

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

Check Point’s cybersecurity solutions protect manufacturing environments primarily through next-generation firewalls and unified threat prevention platforms designed for industrial-specific risk profiles.

Manufacturers use Check Point to segment networks logically and physically, securing critical OT systems from IT network threats. Their CloudGuard solutions extend this protection to multi-cloud manufacturing applications and data processing systems.

Check Point’s threat intelligence continuously updates to and defends against newly emerging ransomware, spyware and advanced malware targeting manufacturing sectors. Real-time threat prevention and automated policy enforcement reduce risks of costly operational disruptions for manufacturers.

5. CrowdStrike Falcon

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

CrowdStrike Falcon’s cloud-native AI-powered endpoint detection and response platform is widely adopted in manufacturing for protecting critical devices, including industrial PCs, workstations and connected IoT endpoints.

CrowdStrike’s lightweight agents deliver continuous monitoring and threat intelligence across manufacturing environments, providing threat hunting and automated remediation capabilities. This is crucial for legacy OT systems that often lack native security.

Manufacturers leverage Falcon to detect ransomware and unauthorised access attempts targeting production technology and intellectual property.

4. Fortinet

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

Fortinet delivers systemic cybersecurity for manufacturing with its FortiGate firewalls and Security Fabric architecture, enabling integrated and automated protection across networks, endpoints and cloud services.

Manufacturers use Fortinet to secure production networks from external and internal threats, segmenting OT networks to prevent the spread of malware and ensuring operational continuity. 

The Security Fabric’s broad visibility into network traffic and devices empowers organisations to manage security risks specific to industrial control systems.

3. Palo Alto Networks

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

Palo Alto Networks offers integrated cybersecurity tailored for manufacturing with a focus on automated detection and response across IT and OT environments. 

Their Cortex XDR platform unifies endpoint, network and cloud data to deliver advanced threat detection using AI and machine learning.

In manufacturing, Palo Alto’s solutions protect critical operational assets against ransomware, supply chain attacks and insider threats.

Their next-generation firewalls and segmentation tools isolate production systems to prevent lateral threat movement, ensuring cyberattacks don’t compromise entire factory floors.

2. Cisco Security

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

Cisco Security provides manufacturing with secure, software-defined networking solutions integrated with OT cybersecurity capabilities. 

Partnerships like Cisco-Rockwell Automation allow the company to deliver platforms unifying IT and OT security, addressing both network infrastructure and industrial control systems.

Cisco’s software-defined manufacturing (SDM) platform enables manufacturers to connect machinery, sensors and control systems securely while enhancing operational visibility through real-time analytics. 

This integration helps identify bottlenecks, optimise resource use and predict maintenance needs, improving efficiency while reducing downtime.

1. Microsoft (Sentinel/Defender)

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

Microsoft Sentinel and Defender XDR provide manufacturers with integrated, AI-powered cybersecurity across OT and IT infrastructures. 

Sentinel’s cloud-native SIEM collects diverse telemetry from sensors, endpoints and cloud services to enable holistic threat detection. Defender extends this with endpoint detection and response, automated investigation and real-time threat hunting.

Manufacturers use these solutions to detect cyberattacks on operational systems that could disrupt production or compromise sensitive designs and data. 

Sentinel’s automated threat intelligence correlates signals to reduce false alerts and prioritise real risks. The platform also helps secure remote and hybrid workforces critical to manufacturing operations.