You know your machines inside and out. Every gear, belt, and spindle is maintained to perfection. But here’s the part nobody likes to admit isn’t quite as polished—your cybersecurity.

For small manufacturers, it’s easy to assume you’re flying under the radar. You’re not a global automaker. You don’t have a dedicated security team. Maybe you lean on your MSP and hope for the best.

But just because your small doesn’t mean you don’t have intellectual property or sensitive data to protect, and hope isn’t a strategy. And cybercriminals aren’t skipping your shop just because you don’t have a skyscraper.

Here’s what smaller manufacturers really need to think about:

1. “Everyone uses the same login” is not a plan

When “Operator1” is the universal key to every shop floor machine and office computer, you’re not just inviting inefficiency—you’re handing attackers a master key.

What to do: Set up unique user credentials, even for shop-floor stations. It’s the cyber equivalent of knowing who clocked in and who left the press on overnight.

2. Your MSP handles some things—not everything

Most small shops rely on a managed service provider (MSP) for IT. That’s great, but there’s a huge difference between managing your IT and defending against ransomware. 80% of cybersecurity is people, policy, and processes. Not technology.

What to do: Ask your MSP how they’re protecting your environment, managing vulnerabilities, and preparing you for CMMC if you’re in the defense supply chain. Don’t assume. Verify. When MSPs partner with OrbitalFire, you get a cybersecurity expert that helps you build a cybersecurity strategy that is in line with your business mission, and your MSP executes the technology portion of that strategy.

3. Maintenance schedules = good. Cyber checkups = better.

Your machines get preventative maintenance. Do your systems and staff training? If you don’t know when your last cyber risk assessment happened (or if it ever did), you’re overdue.

What to do: Schedule a Security Risk Assessment designed for manufacturers. One that accounts for your front office network, your factory floor, workforce Awareness Training, Phishing Testing, and any regulatory, cyber insurance, or customer cybersecurity requirements you’re required to meet.

4. Your people are part of the system, too

A single click on a phishing email can shut your operations down. And yes—attackers do go after smaller manufacturers. You’re often easier to breach, but just as expensive to disrupt.

 What to do: Train your team to spot phishing, scams, and social engineering. Keep it short, repeatable, and relevant to their day-to-day. We recommend short, interactive, monthly Awareness Training and Phishing Testing that are easy to digest, and remember. For more on Awareness Training, read our blog “The Real Cost of Skipping Awareness Training“

5. Ransomware doesn’t care how big your company is

If production grinds to a halt, you’re losing money every hour. That’s why small manufacturers are a prime ransomware target—they can’t afford downtime, and attackers know it.

What to do: Have a tested backup strategy. Monitor for threats. And put together an Incident Response plan that your team actually knows how to use. Then test it with an Incident Response Tabletop.

Small Shop. Big Risk. Smart Strategy.

You don’t need a million-dollar cybersecurity budget. But you do need a plan that fits your shop size, your business mission, and your reality.

OrbitalFire works with smaller manufacturers every day—whether you’ve got five employees or 500. From Risk Assessments to CMMC and other compliance and Incident Response, we’ve got the tools (and the playbook) to help you stay online and out of the headlines.

Need help supporting the mission? We’re Here for You.