The manufacturing sector faces a critical challenge that many organizations are reluctant to discuss openly: The growing cybersecurity risks created by what industry experts call the "OEM blockade."
This phenomenon, where equipment manufacturers restrict access to their systems under the guise of warranty protection, is creating significant vulnerabilities in industrial environments — and the traditional IT-centric approach to security isn't solving the problem.
The issue begins before new equipment even reaches the factory floor. When OEMs conduct factory acceptance testing, they typically lock in software versions and operating systems months before installation.
Think of all the vulnerabilities that have not been patched on brand new equipment that has just been put in. Vulnerabilities can appear from the time between manufacturing and installation. This creates an immediate security deficit that only grows wider as time passes.
Ending the IT/OT stalemate on cybersecurity
The challenge is compounded by the fundamental disconnect between IT and OT (operations technology) priorities. While IT teams focus on confidentiality and rapid system updates, OT teams must prioritize availability and process integrity.
This misalignment often leads to a stalemate where critical vulnerabilities remain unaddressed because traditional IT security approaches cannot be directly applied in the OT environment. For example, software updates, patches and network scans commonly disrupt production on the plant floor.
Recent incidents highlight the real-world impact of this disconnect. When the CrowdStrike cloud service issue occurred, many manufacturers experienced unexpected plant shutdowns because security tools designed for IT environments had unintended consequences in OT systems.
Yet such incidents often go unreported, as companies prefer to avoid admitting to production losses that could impact investor confidence and brand perception.
Exacerbating this problem is the immense diversity of OT assets. While IT environments might standardize around a dozen core technologies, a single manufacturing plant can contain hundreds of different systems, often accumulated through mergers and acquisitions.
This complexity makes it nearly impossible for traditional IT security approaches to effectively protect industrial environments.
Cybersecurity best practices for OT professionals
The only people who are going to solve these particular issues when it comes to machine safety, production and process control are the people who design and build, manage and maintain those machine centers. And that is not IT and never will be.
The solution requires a fundamental shift in approach. Instead of trying to force IT security models onto OT environments, organizations need to:
- Engage their ecosystem of OT suppliers, including OEMs and system integrators, in security discussions from the start.
- Implement OT-specific security tools that can detect and diagnose operational anomalies while maintaining process integrity.
- Develop partnerships with service providers who understand both cybersecurity and industrial processes.
- Invest in technologies like virtual patching, micro-segmentation and SD-WAN solutions specifically configured for OT environments
Some manufacturing organizations are already discovering that OT security tools can provide value beyond cybersecurity. By monitoring digital signatures of connected physical systems, these tools can help diagnose mysterious equipment issues — the "ghosts in the machine" that traditionally required hours or days of production downtime to resolve.
The path forward requires breaking down the artificial barriers between IT and OT while recognizing their distinct safety and security requirements.
With heightened geopolitical tensions and the growing sophistication of nation-state actors, manufacturing facilities represent attractive targets for those seeking to disrupt economies.
Organizations that fail to address these challenges risk not just security breaches, but significant disruptions that could impact their bottom line for years to come.
Take steps now to protect your organization. The most important step you will take is the first one. Just get started.
Dino Busalachi is CTO and co-founder of Velta Technology, an integrator member of the Control System Integrators Association (CSIA). For more information about Velta Technology, visit its profile on the CSIA Industrial Automation Exchange.
