The manufacturing industry is facing an unprecedented cybersecurity crisis, and the statistics are genuinely alarming. A comprehensive survey reveals that 84% of manufacturing leaders fear malware and ransomware attacks above all other threats, whilst 68% of IT teams are dangerously understaffed to handle growing network complexities. With manufacturing accounting for 25.7% of all cyberattacks globally, IT managers can no longer afford to treat network security as an afterthought. The convergence of Industry 4.0 technologies, distributed global operations, and sophisticated cyber threats has created a perfect storm that demands immediate action. This article examines the five most critical networking and network security priorities that manufacturing IT managers must address in the next 12 months to protect their operations, maintain competitiveness, and ensure business continuity.
The Visibility Crisis: Why 64% of Manufacturing Leaders Are Flying Blind
Network visibility has emerged as the paramount concern for manufacturing IT managers, with 64% identifying real-time network visibility as crucial to maintaining security and operational efficiency. This priority reflects a fundamental challenge: most manufacturing companies lack comprehensive visibility into their network infrastructure, making it nearly impossible to identify and respond to threats promptly.
The visibility challenge is particularly acute in manufacturing environments due to their unique characteristics. Unlike traditional office networks, manufacturing facilities integrate operational technology (OT) with information technology (IT), creating complex hybrid environments that span production floors, warehouses, and administrative offices. Industrial companies report the lowest levels of external traffic visibility, with 36% of experts considering external traffic completely opaque. This lack of visibility creates dangerous blind spots where cyber threats can lurk undetected.
Modern manufacturing networks face additional complexity through the proliferation of Internet of Things (IoT) devices and industrial control systems. With OT assets growing by a staggering 400% and over 15 billion devices projected to be connected via 5G and cloud by 2026, the attack surface has expanded exponentially. Each connected device represents a potential entry point for cybercriminals, yet many organisations struggle to maintain an accurate inventory of their connected assets, let alone monitor their security status.
The consequences of poor network visibility extend beyond cybersecurity concerns. Manufacturing operations depend on real-time data flows to maintain production efficiency, manage supply chains, and ensure quality control. When IT managers cannot see what is happening across their networks, they cannot optimise performance, troubleshoot issues quickly, or make informed decisions about capacity planning and resource allocation. This operational blindness ultimately impacts the bottom line through reduced productivity, increased downtime, and missed opportunities for process improvement.
Securing the Global Manufacturing Empire: The 54% Priority
Secure global connectivity has become a strategic imperative for 54% of manufacturing leaders, reflecting the increasingly distributed nature of modern manufacturing operations. Unlike traditional businesses that operate from centralized locations, manufacturing companies typically manage dozens or even hundreds of networked facilities across multiple continents, creating unique connectivity and security challenges.
The global nature of manufacturing operations creates a complex web of connectivity requirements. Manufacturing facilities must maintain secure connections between production sites, corporate headquarters, supply chain partners, and remote workers. This distributed architecture presents multiple attack vectors for cybercriminals, particularly when organisations rely on traditional networking solutions that were not designed for modern security threats. Legacy MPLS networks, whilst providing connectivity, often lack the security features and flexibility required to protect against sophisticated cyber attacks.
Remote work has further complicated the secure connectivity challenge. The shift towards hybrid working models means that manufacturing companies must now secure connections for remote employees who may be accessing critical systems from various locations and devices. Traditional perimeter-based security models are inadequate for this new reality, as they cannot provide consistent protection for users regardless of their location.
The rise of cloud computing adds another layer of complexity to the secure connectivity challenge. A predominant 76% of manufacturing respondents maintain hybrid environments, combining cloud and private data centres to support critical applications. This hybrid model requires secure connectivity solutions that can seamlessly integrate across different environments whilst maintaining consistent security policies. Additionally, 52% of manufacturers are actively migrating legacy applications to the cloud, necessitating secure pathways for data transfer and application access during the transition period.
Supply chain integration represents another critical aspect of secure global connectivity. Manufacturing companies increasingly collaborate with suppliers, distributors, and partners through digital platforms that require secure data sharing. These B2B connections must be protected against supply chain attacks, where cybercriminals target weaker links in the partner network to gain access to primary targets. The interconnected nature of modern supply chains means that a security breach at one supplier can cascade through the entire network, potentially disrupting operations across multiple facilities.
The Resource Crunch: Tackling the 68% Staffing Crisis
The manufacturing industry faces a severe IT skills crisis, with 68% of respondents reporting that their IT teams are understaffed or lack the necessary training to manage growing network complexities. This resource constraint represents one of the most significant barriers to implementing effective network security strategies and maintaining operational resilience.
The staffing shortage is not merely about numbers; it reflects a fundamental mismatch between the skills required for modern manufacturing IT environments and the available talent pool. Manufacturing IT teams must now manage traditional networking infrastructure alongside emerging technologies such as IoT devices, artificial intelligence systems, and cloud platforms. The convergence of IT and OT systems requires professionals who understand both domains, yet such cross-functional expertise is rare and expensive to acquire.
Training existing staff presents its own challenges. The rapid pace of technological change means that IT professionals must continuously update their skills to remain effective. However, manufacturing companies often struggle to provide adequate training opportunities due to budget constraints and operational demands. When IT teams are already stretched thin managing day-to-day operations, finding time for professional development becomes increasingly difficult.
The resource shortage has direct implications for network security. When IT teams are overwhelmed, they may prioritise immediate operational needs over proactive security measures. This reactive approach leaves organisations vulnerable to cyber threats and makes it difficult to implement comprehensive security strategies. Furthermore, understaffed teams are more likely to make configuration errors or overlook security best practices, inadvertently creating vulnerabilities that cybercriminals can exploit.
Outsourcing and managed services have emerged as potential solutions to the resource challenge. The survey indicates growing interest in managed security services, with organisations recognising that external providers can offer specialised expertise and 24/7 monitoring capabilities that may be difficult to maintain internally. However, implementing managed services requires careful vendor selection and ongoing oversight to ensure that external providers align with organisational security requirements and operational needs.
Cost Control and Simplification: The 50% Imperative
Cost control and network simplification have become essential priorities for 50% of manufacturing organisations, particularly as they expand into cloud and multi-cloud environments. The economic pressures facing the manufacturing sector, combined with the need for continuous technological investment, have created a demand for solutions that deliver enhanced capabilities whilst reducing overall costs.
Traditional approaches to networking and security often involve multiple point solutions from different vendors, creating a complex and expensive infrastructure to maintain. Each additional solution requires dedicated hardware, software licences, and specialised staff to manage it effectively. This fragmented approach not only increases costs but also creates operational inefficiencies and potential security gaps between different systems.
The consolidation of network and security functions offers significant cost reduction opportunities. Some manufacturers report annual savings of up to 30% through the adoption of converged solutions such as Secure Access Service Edge (SASE). These savings come from multiple sources, including reduced hardware requirements, lower energy consumption, simplified licensing models, and decreased management overhead. By consolidating multiple functions into a single platform, organisations can achieve economies of scale whilst reducing the complexity of their IT infrastructure.
Cloud adoption presents both opportunities and challenges for cost control. Whilst cloud services can reduce capital expenditure and provide operational flexibility, they can also lead to unexpected costs if not managed properly. Manufacturing companies must carefully balance the benefits of cloud adoption with the need to maintain predictable and controlled IT spending. This balance is particularly important for organisations operating on thin margins or facing economic uncertainty.
The simplification imperative extends beyond cost considerations to operational efficiency. Complex network architectures are difficult to troubleshoot, slow to modify, and prone to configuration errors. By simplifying their network infrastructure, manufacturing companies can reduce the time and expertise required for routine maintenance, improve system reliability, and respond more quickly to changing business requirements. This operational agility is increasingly important in a competitive manufacturing landscape where speed and flexibility can provide significant advantages.
The Convergence Revolution: SASE and the Future of Manufacturing Networks
The convergence of network and security functions represents a paradigm shift in how manufacturing companies approach their IT infrastructure. Despite compelling business reasons for adoption, only 22% of manufacturers have implemented converged networking and security solutions such as SASE, whilst 50% remain in various stages of investigation. This gap between potential benefits and actual adoption reveals both the opportunity and the challenges facing the industry.
SASE solutions promise to address many of the challenges highlighted in previous sections by combining networking and security functions into a unified platform delivered as a service. For manufacturing companies with distributed operations, SASE can provide consistent security policies across all locations whilst simplifying management and reducing costs. The cloud-native architecture of SASE solutions also aligns well with the industry’s gradual migration towards hybrid and cloud environments.
The benefits of convergence extend beyond technical considerations to strategic business advantages. Unified platforms can provide better visibility across the entire network infrastructure, enabling more informed decision-making and faster response to issues. The reduction in vendor relationships and contract complexity can also simplify procurement and reduce administrative overhead. Furthermore, the service-based delivery model can help address the skills shortage by transferring specialised management responsibilities to external providers.
However, adoption barriers remain significant. Resource and budget limitations, whether real or perceived, appear to be slowing implementation across the industry. Many manufacturing companies are cautious about major infrastructure changes, particularly when existing systems are functioning adequately. The complexity of migrating from legacy systems to modern platforms can also be daunting, especially for organisations with limited IT resources.
The future direction of manufacturing networks will likely involve gradual convergence rather than wholesale replacement of existing infrastructure. Organisations that begin planning and piloting converged solutions now will be better positioned to realise the benefits whilst avoiding the risks associated with rushed implementations. The key is to develop a clear migration strategy that balances immediate operational needs with long-term strategic objectives.
Conclusion
The networking and security challenges facing manufacturing IT managers in 2025 are both urgent and complex. With 84% of leaders fearing cyber attacks and 68% struggling with understaffed teams, the industry stands at a critical juncture where traditional approaches are no longer sufficient. The five priorities examined — network visibility, secure global connectivity, resource constraints, cost control, and technology convergence — are interconnected challenges that require integrated solutions rather than piecemeal approaches.
Manufacturing companies that proactively address these priorities will gain significant competitive advantages through improved security posture, operational efficiency, and cost management. Conversely, organisations that delay action risk falling behind competitors whilst exposing themselves to increasingly sophisticated cyber threats. The path forward requires careful planning, strategic investment, and a willingness to embrace new technologies and delivery models that can address multiple challenges simultaneously.
The next 12 months will be crucial for manufacturing IT managers to establish the foundation for long-term success. By prioritising network visibility, implementing secure connectivity solutions, addressing resource constraints through strategic partnerships, controlling costs through consolidation, and planning for technology convergence, manufacturing companies can build resilient and efficient network infrastructures that support their business objectives whilst protecting against emerging threats.
