Bridging the Cyber Resilience Gap in UK Manufacturing

The UK manufacturing sector is rapidly digitalising, embracing Industry 4.0 innovations from IoT-enabled machinery to smart supply chains. However, this transformation brings with it a growing threat: cyber attacks. From ransomware to intellectual property theft, manufacturing has become a top target for cybercriminals.

Despite increased awareness, cyber resilience misalignments persist in many organisations. Misunderstood risks, outdated security controls, and inconsistent vulnerability patching expose operational technology (OT) and IT systems to compromise.

In this blog, we explore how UK manufacturers can bridge these gaps through threat emulation, comprehensive security reviews, and proactive vulnerability management.

The Cyber Resilience Challenge in Manufacturing

The unique blend of legacy systems and cutting-edge tech in UK factories creates a perfect storm for cyber risk. Many manufacturers still operate equipment never designed to be connected to networks—let alone withstand cyber threats.

Key misalignments in manufacturing cyber resilience include:

• A lack of visibility into OT/IT system interdependencies

• Infrequent or ineffective risk assessments

• Inadequate incident response plans

• Delayed patching of known vulnerabilities

• Disconnected strategies between cyber security teams and plant operations

Threat Emulation: Testing Defence by Simulating Real-World Attacks

Threat emulation—sometimes referred to as adversary simulation—replicates tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) used by real-world threat actors. For UK manufacturers, this means testing the resilience of both IT and OT environments against realistic, targeted attacks.

By mimicking advanced persistent threats (APTs), ransomware groups, or insider threats, threat emulation helps identify gaps in:

• Endpoint protection

• Network segmentation

• Monitoring and detection capabilities

• Employee response to phishing or social engineering

Benefits for manufacturers:

• Gain insight into attack paths specific to your environment

• Validate existing security controls under real-world stress

• Train internal teams in recognising and responding to threats

• Inform incident response and business continuity planning

Security Reviews: Reassessing the Foundations

An annual security review is not enough. Manufacturers need regular, comprehensive evaluations tailored to the fast-evolving threat landscape.

Key focus areas for security reviews in the manufacturing sector:

• OT/IT convergence risks: How are production systems exposed via IT networks?

• Access control audits: Who has access to what—and why?

• Supplier and third-party risk assessments: Are your vendors introducing vulnerabilities?

• Policy alignment: Are your security policies fit for purpose and actively enforced?

A proper review will align technical defences with business-critical operations and regulatory obligations such as the NCSC’s Cyber Assessment Framework (CAF) and the UK’s Network and Information Systems (NIS) regulations.

Vulnerability Management: Proactive, Not Reactive

The pace at which new vulnerabilities are discovered means that a proactive vulnerability management strategy is non-negotiable. Manufacturers often lag in patching, especially in OT environments where downtime is costly.

Best practices include:

• Automated vulnerability scanning across IT and OT assets

• Risk-based prioritisation: Not every CVE is a crisis—focus on what truly matters

• Patch lifecycle management with clear ownership

• Continuous monitoring for emerging threats and zero-days

By integrating threat intelligence and regular scans, you can reduce dwell time and eliminate low-hanging fruit for attackers.

A Unified Approach: Aligning Teams and Strategy

True cyber resilience requires breaking down silos between cybersecurity, engineering, and operations. UK manufacturers must embed cyber risk into daily decision-making across all departments.

Recommendations:

• Embed cyber risk into business continuity planning

• Train operational staff in cyber hygiene practices

• Appoint a CISO or cyber lead with cross-functional authority

• Align with frameworks like ISO/IEC 27001, NIST CSF, and NCSC guidance

Conclusion

The UK manufacturing sector stands at a pivotal crossroads: embrace a cyber-resilient future or remain vulnerable to costly disruption. Misalignments in cyber security strategy don’t have to persist.

By integrating threat emulation, thorough security reviews, and rigorous vulnerability management, manufacturers can identify weaknesses before adversaries do—and ensure operations remain resilient against tomorrow’s threats.