Addressing Cybersecurity Risks Associated With Remote Access

The ability to log in remotely to machines on the plant floor saves manufacturers valuable time and money. Instead of costly downtime which requires halting the manufacturing processes while waiting on engineers to arrive via plane, train or automobile to fix the issue, remote access coupled with augmented reality innovations, can eliminate the need to have an engineer onsite. Instead, these individuals can evaluate the issue from anywhere in the world to quickly and cost effectively speed the troubleshooting process. This capability also helps to ease the skilled labor gap so many industrial manufacturers are contending with, maximizing the time of the engineers they do have available.

However, this level of connectivity and operational efficiency comes with risk. According to findings from the 2024 Cyber Threat Intelligence Report, manufacturing is the industry most often targeted by malicious actors. And any system that is connected to the Internet is vulnerable to a cybersecurity attack or system breach. But foregoing technology-enabled solutions and the ability to drastically improve operational efficiency on the plant floor is not an option. After all, downtime costs manufacturers money, as much as $50 billion annually according to research by Industry EMEA.

Scott Dowell outlines the four best practices manufacturing firms can follow to capitalize on the benefits of remote access without exposing their company to costly cyber risk.

Read the full article online from Automation.com to learn more