CyberSafeCheck Free · No sign-up · Instant score, action plan and PDF report · Mapped to Essential Eight, ISO 27001, SMB1001, Privacy Act
Why manufacturers are targeted
Ransomware is the main threat. Attackers know that every hour of downtime costs a manufacturer money, which makes them more likely to pay. Many factories also run older machine controllers and PCs that cannot be updated and were never designed to be connected to the internet.
Designs, formulas and processes are valuable intellectual property, and connections to suppliers and customers (EDI, portals, shared files) can become a way in.
What the manufacturing & industrial check asks about
The quick check has 20 questions and the full assessment 43. Both cover the fundamentals every business needs (access and passwords, devices and updates, email and phishing, backups, governance and data protection), plus questions specific to your sector:
- OT / production network segmentation
- Legacy / unpatched machinery
- Intellectual-property protection
- Supply-chain / EDI integration
- Production continuity
You get a score out of 100, a breakdown by area and a prioritised action plan that shows which framework each recommendation relates to.
Obligations that may apply to you
- Customer and supply-chain requirements. Larger customers increasingly ask suppliers to evidence cyber security. Defence suppliers applying for DISP membership must meet cyber security requirements based on ASD guidance, including the Essential Eight.
- Certification. ISO 27001 or SMB1001 certification is a common way to answer supplier questionnaires once and for all.
- The Privacy Act. Businesses with annual turnover above $3 million must protect personal information (staff, customers) and report serious breaches.
- Ransomware payments. Businesses with turnover above $3 million must report a ransomware payment to the Australian Signals Directorate within 72 hours.
Four things to do first
- Separate production systems from the office network, so an office infection cannot reach the factory floor
- Isolate machines that cannot be patched, and restrict who and what can connect to them
- Keep offline backups of production configurations and business systems
- Plan how you would keep producing, or restart quickly, if systems went down
Start the free manufacturing & industrial check
Frequently asked questions
What is OT security?
Operational technology (OT) is the equipment that runs production: machine controllers, SCADA and the PCs that drive them. OT security is about keeping those systems separate from office IT, controlling remote access to them and protecting machines that cannot be updated.
How do manufacturers protect against ransomware?
Separate production from office networks, turn on multi-factor authentication for remote access, keep offline backups that you have tested restoring, and have a written plan for keeping production going. Those controls limit how far an attack can spread and how long it can stop you.
Is this check an audit?
No. It is a free self-assessment with an instant score and action plan. It is not a formal audit, certification or legal advice.
This page and the assessment are general information and an educational guide to your security posture. They are not a formal audit, certification or legal advice.