AI, cloud adoption outpaces security in manufacturing sector

The crippling cyberattack on Jaguar Land Rover, which halted production for a month and cost nearly $1 billion, underscores a growing crisis as manufacturers rapidly digitize without adequately securing their operations, Manufacturing Dive reports.

According to industry experts, the manufacturing sector has become the top target for cybercriminals, with the rush to adopt AI, cloud systems, and automation for efficiency drastically expanding the attack surface of environments never originally designed for connectivity. As highlighted in the 2025 Deloitte Smart Manufacturing Survey, while 57% of large U.S. manufacturers use cloud systems and 29% employ AI, cybersecurity is often an afterthought, "bolted on" rather than built with secure-by-design principles. This creates a dangerous mismatch where modern technology is integrated with legacy infrastructure lacking fundamental digital safeguards.

Redpoint Cyber's Nick Nolen warns that this "interconnected nature of manufacturing systems" allows attackers who breach a minor vulnerability to move quickly toward sensitive areas. The shift toward third-party integrators and vendor software further multiplies entry points, making the industry increasingly vulnerable to ransomware, phishing, and supply chain disruptions as it prioritizes performance and automation over foundational security.