Connected devices increase manufacturing cybersecurity risks: Zurich

The use of internet-connected devices in manufacturing is expanding at an “astonishing pace” and increasing the risk of cybersecurity attacks, Zurich North America has warned. 

The International Data Corporation (IDC) estimates there will be 55.7 billion connected Internet of Things devices by 2025.

The Internet of Things is a term used to describe the increasing number of devices and appliances that are directly connected to the internet. 

Internet of Things devices in manufacturing include sophisticated robots on a factory floor to smart sensors performing real-time digital intelligence and production control functions. 

For manufacturers, this further magnifies the attack surfaces that can be exploited by cybercriminals as more network-connected devices are integrated into industrial operations, Zurich warned.

In some cases, newly-acquired internet of things devices have even been compromised by malware during manufacture and initial programming, allowing them to unleash dangerous code into a network as soon as they go online.

There were an estimated 5.5 billion malware attacks worldwide in 2022, an increase of 2% over the preceding year.