LevelBlue’s newly released 2025 Spotlight Report: Cyber Resilience and Business Impact in Manufacturing, uncovered the different ways this sector has increased its understanding of the role cybersecurity must play moving forward, including the need to adopt a more proactive security posture to increase resilience and improve its defense mechanisms to combat AI-powered attacks.
The research, which is based on a survey conducted in January 2025 of 220 C-suite and senior manufacturing executives, found these leaders were concerned about a variety of issues threatening their organizations' cybersecurity posture.
Artificial intelligence and its use as a defensive tool and an offensive weapon by attackers was top of mind, along with the need to continue to improve resilience, break down the internal barriers that make security more difficult, and align cybersecurity practices with business goals.
The survey results generated a firm number on the cyber threats these executives face every day, with 28% of manufacturing executives reporting a breach in the last 12 months, and 37% having experienced a significantly higher volume of attacks.
Evolving Vectors: Preparing for More Sophisticated Attacks
The report noted that manufacturers must be better prepared to deal with AI and its supercharged cyberattacks that allow threat actors to exploit vulnerabilities with automated ransomware and phishing campaigns.
The survey did find a bit of a disconnect in preparedness.
Despite 44% of manufacturing executives believing AI-powered threats will occur, only 32% feel prepared for them. Similarly, while 47% expect deepfake attacks, only 30% are prepared.
Business Impact: Aligning Cybersecurity with Strategic Goals
These numbers, coupled with high-profile media reports and an increasingly complex threat landscape, are pushing cybersecurity higher on the corporate agenda, drawing greater attention from the C-suite and prompting them to prioritize it.
This newfound importance is apparent in the report, revealing that aligning cybersecurity with business goals is now a priority among board members. Sixty four percent of the respondents said their cybersecurity teams are highly or very highly aligned with the wider business, and further alignment is a top three priority for the next 12 months.
One priority the survey found is to bake in security from the beginning of a project, making the final product secure.
Interestingly, 69% of executives questioned said this alignment helps boost confidence in the organization’s ability to fend off attacks, which allows it to take even more risks and boost innovation.
Silo Breakthrough: Alignment and Collaboration for a Proactive Manufacturing Culture
The creation of a cyber-resilient culture is becoming a top-of-mind subject in the manufacturing sector, but one that still requires further development.
Executives surveyed noted that business silos are breaking down and that resilience is no longer seen solely as a cybersecurity issue but increasingly recognized as a priority across the entire organization.
The research showed that manufacturing is making good progress along these lines, with 65% of leadership roles now measured against cybersecurity KPIs.
However, there is still work to be done. Less than half, 44%, of organizations report having an effective company-wide cybersecurity culture. Communication between cybersecurity teams and lines of business is seen as effective by only 54% of respondents.
Software Supply Chain: Risks and Resilience in Manufacturing Organizations
Supply chain issues pose a significant problem for all organizations, as they can provide a major entry point for threat actors, enabling them to steal credentials and propagate malware from a single victim to multiple targets.
Despite this, 54% of manufacturing organizations report having low to moderate visibility into their software supply chains, and only 26% say that engaging with suppliers about their security credentials is a priority for the next year.
These numbers are surprising considering some of the very high-profile attacks that have taken place through third-party suppliers, such as SolarWinds and even Target back in 2013.
Prioritizing this area is critical for building resilience and protecting a company's physical and intellectual property.
For a Deeper Dive, Download the Full Report
Please download the 2025 Spotlight Report: Cyber Resilience and Business Impact in Manufacturing for further details on the threats facing the manufacturing sector along with helpful tips on how your organization can build resilience.
