Less than half of manufacturers feel ready for top cyber threats

Less than half of manufacturing organisations worldwide report being prepared for the most significant cyber threats, according to new research from managed security provider LevelBlue.

Industry gaps

LevelBlue's 2025 Spotlight Report: Cyber Resilience and Business Impact in Manufacturing details the readiness of manufacturing companies against increasingly complex cyber-attacks, including those utilising artificial intelligence (AI), deepfakes, and distributed denial of service (DDoS) tactics.

The research, based on a survey of 220 manufacturing executives out of a global sample of 1,500 C-suite and senior leaders, reveals that fewer than 50% of manufacturing organisations feel prepared to manage the current wave of cyber threats. Notably, only 32% of executives feel equipped for AI-powered threats and just 30% consider their organisations prepared to defend against deepfake attacks.

Concurrently, the report highlights that just 37% of manufacturing executives believe their organisations can withstand DDoS attacks, a concern heightened by increasing geopolitical tensions. Data security and software supply chain vulnerabilities remain a predominant challenge, with 54% of organisations reporting low to moderate insight into their supply chain's cybersecurity posture.

Resilience priorities

Manufacturers are undertaking several steps to address the escalating risks. According to LevelBlue's research, 65% of respondents say leadership roles are now evaluated using cybersecurity key performance indicators (KPIs), while 70% report conducting employee training on social engineering tactics, which are common in phishing and impersonation attempts.

Kory Daniels, LevelBlue Chief Security & Trust Officer, commented on the findings, emphasising the sector's shifting outlook on cyber risk:

Cyber resilience is no longer optional-it's becoming a strategic imperative for manufacturers in order to maintain customer and supply chain trust. While it's encouraging to see increased alignment between cybersecurity initiatives and business goals, the data shows that many organizations still face critical gaps in alignment. Corporate executive alignment and a proactive, adaptive approach are essential to staying ahead of rapidly evolving threats.

Investments and response strategies

More than half (55%) of manufacturing organisations surveyed indicate that cybersecurity budgets are now allocated at the beginning of new innovation initiatives, embedding resilience into technological advancement from the outset. Furthermore, 69% report that adopting an adaptive approach to cybersecurity allows them to take greater innovation risks while managing potential repercussions.

The report also outlines key areas where manufacturers are focusing additional investments to strengthen their cyber defences. These include machine learning for pattern matching (71% of respondents), application security (67%), and the implementation of cyber resilience processes across business units (69%). Other significant focuses are generative AI defences against social engineering (64%) and improved software supply chain security (63%).

Practical recommendations

LevelBlue's research sets out four steps for manufacturers seeking to improve their cyber resilience and organisational culture. These steps include aligning cyber-resilience considerations with high-level business decisions, enabling straightforward threat reporting mechanisms for all staff, and involving external providers to boost security, train personnel, and ensure the cybersecurity credentials of supply chain partners are robust.

The marked increase in cyber-attacks against the manufacturing sector follows several recent high-profile incidents that have disrupted production and supply chains, bringing new urgency to industry-wide efforts to improve organisational resilience.