Cybersecurity & IT Services for UK Manufacturing
Manufacturing businesses face a convergence of IT and operational technology (OT) risks — from ransomware targeting production systems to supply chain attacks. AMVIA helps UK manufacturers protect both office IT and operational environments without disrupting production.
Cybersecurity Risk in UK Manufacturing
Manufacturing has become the most frequently targeted sector for ransomware attacks — attackers understand that production downtime creates enormous financial pressure to pay.
As operational technology connects to corporate networks and the internet, the attack surface expands significantly. Legacy OT systems often lack modern security controls.
Production downtime is among the most costly business disruptions. A single day of unplanned outage following a cyber attack can exceed the annual cost of managed security.
OT/IT Security Convergence in Manufacturing
Traditional manufacturing security treated operational technology (PLCs, SCADA systems, industrial control systems) as isolated from corporate IT. This separation no longer holds in modern factories, where production systems connect to ERP platforms, supply chain portals, and remote monitoring services. This convergence creates security risks that neither standard IT security nor traditional OT security tools fully address on their own. AMVIA works with UK manufacturers to assess and secure the full environment — from office workstations to production floor controllers — using a pragmatic approach that prioritises availability alongside protection.
IT & Security Services for Manufacturers
Protecting production environments, corporate networks, and supply chain connections — while keeping operations running.
OT/IT Network Segmentation
Properly segmenting production networks from corporate IT reduces the risk of ransomware spreading from an office workstation to manufacturing control systems.
Production System Backup & Recovery
Immutable backups of ERP systems, production configurations, and business data — with tested recovery procedures to minimise production downtime following an incident.
24/7 Threat Monitoring
Continuous monitoring of network traffic and endpoint activity, with alerts tuned to manufacturing environments. Threats detected before they reach production systems.
Cyber Essentials for Supply Chain
Cyber Essentials and CE+ certification helps manufacturers meet customer and prime contractor security requirements — increasingly mandatory in automotive, aerospace, and defence supply chains.
ERP & Microsoft 365 Security
Securing access to ERP platforms and cloud services with MFA, Conditional Access, and DLP policies — protecting commercially sensitive production data and customer information.
Managed Connectivity & Resilience
Dedicated leased lines and resilient connectivity for factories requiring reliable, high-throughput connections to cloud services and remote sites.
Manufacturing Cybersecurity Checklist
Key technical controls for UK manufacturers — aligned to NCSC guidance on OT/IT security and common supply chain requirements.
OT and IT networks segmented
Production systems on a separate, firewalled network segment. Traffic between OT and IT monitored and controlled.
Remote access to OT systems secured
Any remote access to production systems via MFA-protected, dedicated access solutions — not general VPN.
Asset inventory complete
All IP-connected devices — including OT/ICS equipment — documented in an asset register. Undiscovered devices are unprotected devices.
ERP and business system backups tested
Regular backup testing for ERP, production databases, and configuration backups. Recovery time objectives validated.
Supply chain security requirements met
Cyber Essentials or CE+ certification in place where required by customers, primes, or procurement frameworks.
Patch management applied to office IT
Office workstations and servers patched within 14 days. OT patching assessed for compatibility and applied to a maintenance schedule.
Frequently Asked Questions
OT/IT convergence refers to the increasing connection between operational technology (PLCs, SCADA systems, industrial control systems) and corporate IT networks. As factories connect production equipment to ERP systems, supply chain portals, and remote monitoring services, the attack surface expands significantly. A ransomware infection on an office workstation can now spread to production floor controllers, halting manufacturing. Proper network segmentation between OT and IT environments is the primary control.
Attackers target manufacturers because production downtime creates enormous financial pressure to pay quickly — estimated at £22,000 per hour for some facilities. Manufacturing firms often run legacy systems with limited patching, have complex supply chain connections that create entry points, and hold commercially sensitive IP. The combination of financial pressure, legacy infrastructure, and complex networks makes manufacturers highly attractive targets.
Cyber Essentials certification is mandatory for all UK government contracts involving sensitive data or networks. In defence manufacturing, the MOD requires Cyber Essentials Plus for contracts with defence prime contractors. Automotive and aerospace supply chains increasingly mandate CE+ through customer security requirements. AMVIA guides manufacturers through CE and CE+ certification as part of supply chain compliance programmes.
Securing OT environments requires a non-disruptive approach — passive network monitoring, vulnerability assessment without active scanning of sensitive ICS devices, and change-controlled patching aligned to maintenance windows. AMVIA works around production schedules, prioritising network segmentation and monitoring over changes that could affect system availability. Our OT security approach focuses on visibility and containment first.
Manufacturing ERP systems should be backed up daily with at least one immutable, offsite copy not accessible from the production network. Backups must be tested for restoration — not just verified as written — with documented recovery time objectives. Production configuration backups for PLCs and SCADA systems should also be maintained and tested separately. AMVIA provides backup monitoring and tested recovery procedures for manufacturing IT environments.
Book a Manufacturing IT & Cybersecurity Review
AMVIA's team will assess your office IT and OT environment, identify key vulnerabilities, and provide a practical remediation roadmap that works around production schedules.
Related Resources
The Complete UK Cybersecurity Guide
Core cybersecurity principles and controls — applicable to manufacturing businesses of all sizes.
Cyber Essentials Certification
How CE+ certification meets customer and prime contractor security obligations in UK manufacturing supply chains.
Managed IT Services for Manufacturing
End-to-end IT management for UK manufacturers — covering both office infrastructure and production environments.
Cyber Essentials vs Cyber Essentials Plus
Which certification level is required for government, defence, and automotive supply chain contracts?
MDR vs EDR for Manufacturing
Why manufacturers need 24/7 managed detection and response to protect both IT and OT environments.