The 2024 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR) underscores the escalating cyber threats facing organizations across industries, with a notable surge in vulnerability exploitation and sophisticated attack vectors. For the manufacturing industry, these findings serve as a call to prioritize cybersecurity measures, particularly through adopting a comprehensive framework like the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Cybersecurity Framework (NIST CSF).
Manufacturing’s Threat Landscape
The DBIR analyzed 2,305 breaches across the manufacturing industry and found that the industry is most prone to system intrusion, social engineering, and miscellaneous errors (such as sending information to the wrong recipient.
The report emphasizes the critical role of the human element in cybersecurity breaches, with 68% of incidents involving non-malicious human errors or individuals falling victim to social engineering schemes. This underscores the need for comprehensive user education and behavioral adjustments to bolster security postures.
The Importance of Strategic Vulnerability and Supply Chain Risk Management
One of the report’s most significant findings is the 180% increase in exploiting vulnerabilities as an initial attack vector, driven by the proliferation of zero-day vulnerabilities leveraged by ransomware actors. This trend highlights the urgent need for strategic vulnerability and third-party risk management within manufacturing organizations.
Implementing a cybersecurity framework like the NIST CSF can provide a structured approach to addressing these vulnerabilities and fortifying defenses. The NIST CSF offers a comprehensive set of guidelines and best practices for building and managing your organization’s information security program.
Who is empowering your growth? Contact GBQ’s IT Services team to discuss how a risk assessment can help build your information security and third-party risk management programs.
Article written by:
John Stuart
Senior Cybersecurity Analyst
