This guide is drawn from OrbitalFire’s Customer Learning Series webinar “Cybersecurity Crash Course for Small Manufacturers,” featuring Gary Braglia, OrbitalFire VP of Services, and Cory Albrecht, Director of the Advanced Institute for Manufacturing at Mohawk Valley Community College.

Watch the Recording, or read the full guide below.

For more updated information on changes to CMMC, Read the Article: CMMC Readiness Countdown or Contact Us for the latest.

Manufacturing isn’t the first industry that comes to mind when people think about cybersecurity. It probably should be.

Manufacturing has become one of the most targeted sectors for cyberattacks, and not because manufacturers are careless. It’s because the combination of physical systems, supply chain relationships, and (for many) defense contracts creates a set of vulnerabilities that generic cybersecurity advice doesn’t fully address. A guide written for a law firm or accounting practice misses most of what makes manufacturing security different.

Why Manufacturers Are a High-Value Target

The answer isn’t complicated: disruption is the leverage.

In an office environment, a ransomware attack locks files. Inconvenient, potentially very expensive, but the business can sometimes function partially while recovery happens. In a manufacturing environment, a ransomware attack can stop the production line. Every hour the line is down has a direct, measurable cost. Attackers have learned that manufacturers are more likely to pay quickly because the alternative is more visible and more immediate.

There’s a second factor: the supply chain. Manufacturers sit in the middle of networks connecting suppliers, distributors, and customers, including government customers. Compromising a manufacturer can provide access to those relationships. For defense contractors especially, the information flowing through manufacturing systems can be the actual target.

The OT/IT Convergence Problem

This is the issue most general cybersecurity guides skip entirely.

Traditional IT security focuses on information technology: computers, servers, networks, cloud platforms. Manufacturers also run operational technology (OT): programmable logic controllers, industrial control systems, SCADA systems, the equipment that actually runs the machines and production floor.

For most of manufacturing history, OT systems were isolated. They ran on proprietary protocols, weren’t connected to the internet, and security through obscurity worked reasonably well. That era is over. Modern manufacturing requires OT and IT to talk to each other. Production data needs to flow into business systems. Remote monitoring and maintenance is now standard. The efficiency gains are real, and so is the exposure: OT systems designed in an era of isolation are now connected to networks that face all the threats that IT security has been managing for decades, without the same security foundations.

The practical consequence: a manufacturing environment may have strong IT security and still be vulnerable through the OT side.

CMMC and Defense Contractors

If your manufacturing operation has any relationship with the U.S. Department of Defense, either directly or through a prime contractor, the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) framework applies to you.

CMMC is not optional and not aspirational. It’s a contractual requirement. Defense contracts increasingly require CMMC certification as a condition of award, and the compliance obligation flows down through the supply chain. A manufacturer who supplies components to a prime contractor may be subject to CMMC requirements even without a direct government contract.

CMMC Level 2 (the level most defense contractors face) is built on NIST 800-171 and covers 110 security practices across 14 domains. Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), including drawings, specifications, and technical data related to defense programs, must be protected under these requirements.

The timing reality is stark: when a DOD contract bid goes out, there are typically just 29 days from posting to award. There’s no time to start a CMMC compliance program after you see the bid. “You can’t be on time for CMMC” — you’re either early or you’re late.

The practical advantage for smaller manufacturers: most of your competition hasn’t done the work yet. If you’ve already made progress toward CMMC while they’re starting from scratch, your bid stands out. Compliance becomes a competitive differentiator, not just a cost.

If you’re in the defense supply chain and haven’t started a CMMC readiness assessment, this is the moment.

What a Cyberattack Actually Looks Like in Manufacturing

Most manufacturers who’ve experienced a significant cyber incident describe something like this:

It often starts with an email. An employee clicks a link or opens an attachment that installs malicious software on their workstation. That software establishes a foothold and begins moving through the network quietly, for days or weeks, before triggering the visible attack. When it does, ransomware encrypts files across systems and the production line goes offline.

The visible event is rarely the actual breach. By the time the production floor is down, attackers have often already exfiltrated data, established persistence in multiple systems, and encrypted the backups.

Recovery takes longer than most manufacturers expect. It’s not just restoring files: it’s determining what was accessed, verifying that production systems are clean before restarting, communicating with customers about delivery impacts, and potentially notifying regulators about data exposure.

What Good Cybersecurity Looks Like for Smaller Manufacturers

Separate OT and IT networks. If your production floor systems and your business systems share a network, a compromise on either side can reach the other. Network segmentation, even imperfect segmentation, significantly limits how far an attacker can move.

Know your OT inventory. Many manufacturers don’t have a complete list of what’s on their production floor network. Industrial controllers, legacy equipment with built-in connectivity, and remote monitoring devices all represent potential entry points. You can’t protect what you haven’t inventoried.

Patch what you can, isolate what you can’t. OT systems frequently can’t be patched on the same schedule as IT systems: updates require maintenance windows, vendor involvement, or can’t be applied to legacy equipment at all. For systems that can’t be updated, isolation and network controls become the primary defense.

Treat the production line in your incident response plan. Most incident response plans are written for office environments. A manufacturer’s plan should specifically address production line scenarios: what triggers a shutdown, who has authority to call it, how you communicate with customers and suppliers, and what the restoration sequence looks like.

Employee training matters on the shop floor too. Phishing is the most common entry point regardless of industry. Security awareness training and simulation should reach the full workforce, not just the office staff.

A note for New York manufacturers: If you’re in central or upstate New York, you’re operating in one of the more significant defense cybersecurity ecosystems in the country. Rome, NY is home to the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) — more than 1,000 employees, a $1.5 billion annual budget, and a focus on cybersecurity technology for the Air Force and DoD. The defense contractors that cluster around AFRL create significant CMMC demand in the region.

Funding support may be available through state programs to help offset cybersecurity costs, including CMMC readiness work. The Advanced Institute for Manufacturing (AIM) at Mohawk Valley Community College is a resource for NY-based manufacturers navigating both the compliance requirements and the funding options. Contact FuzeHub to find the NY MEP in your area.

Working to comply with government or customer requirements? We are a certified RPO and Ready to Help.

Frequently Asked Questions About Cybersecurity for Manufacturers

Why is manufacturing a target for cyberattacks?
Manufacturing is targeted for two main reasons. First, production line disruption creates immediate, measurable pressure to pay ransoms quickly. Second, manufacturers sit in supply chains connecting suppliers, distributors, and often government customers, making them a pathway to higher-value targets. Defense contractors are particularly attractive because the data flowing through their systems can itself be the target.

What is OT security and why does it matter for manufacturers?
Operational technology (OT) security covers the systems that run physical processes: programmable logic controllers, industrial control systems, and SCADA systems. Historically isolated from internet-connected networks, OT systems now share connectivity with IT for efficiency and monitoring. OT systems designed for isolation now face the same threat landscape as IT, often without the same security foundations.

Does CMMC apply to my manufacturing business?
If your manufacturing operation has any connection to the U.S. Department of Defense, directly or through a prime contractor’s supply chain, CMMC likely applies. The compliance obligation flows down through the supply chain. CMMC Level 2 requires implementing 110 security practices based on NIST 800-171. A CMMC readiness assessment is the place to start.

How is cybersecurity for manufacturing different from other industries?
The biggest difference is the presence of operational technology alongside traditional IT systems. Ransomware that hits a law firm locks files; ransomware that hits a manufacturer can stop the production line. The consequences of a security incident are more immediate and more visible, which changes the priority and nature of the controls that matter most.

What should be in a manufacturer’s incident response plan?
A manufacturer’s incident response plan should address production scenarios that generic IR plans miss: the criteria and authority for calling a production shutdown, how to communicate with customers and suppliers about delivery impacts, the sequence for restoring production systems, and how to verify that production floor equipment is clean before restarting.

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