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Cybersecurity left unprotected, cybercriminals could manipulate them to disrupt production lines, damage equipment, or access the broader plant network.
This is where‘ secure-by-design’ technology, a foundational approach to drive development, plays a fundamental role. By building in protections from the start, rather than bolting them on post-deployment, drives can serve as a first line of defense. The same philosophy must apply across all machinery to ensure robust end-to-end cybersecurity.
The illusion of total safety
Too many stakeholders within industrial cybersecurity still believe that enough spending can eliminate all risk. The reality is less comforting, as no system is ever completely secure. Some level of vulnerability will always remain. The challenge lies in finding the right balance between the cost of prevention and the potential cost of a breach.
Consider downtime on a production line. Replacing a damaged motor is expensive, but production halted for hours can easily double that expense. Similarly, the recent digital disruption at Heathrow that froze check-in and baggage drop, and stranded tens of thousands of passengers at terminals, shows how quickly technical issues cascade into major losses. The goal isn’ t perfection; it’ s proportionality.
That’ s why businesses must treat cybersecurity as a strategic priority, not something confined to one department. Effective defense relies on informed risk assessment and cost-benefit analysis, resulting in a clear-eyed understanding of how best to balance protection and the risks at stake.
People, the wild card in the mix
Technology aside, human behavior remains one of the most unpredictable factors in
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