Crystal Ball 2025: The rise of resilient manufacturing

As cyber adversaries increasingly leverage AI to find weaknesses and deploy intelligent attacks, manufacturers must embrace proactive AI-powered security. AI will enhance not only detection but also rapid incident response by analyzing data in real time, suggesting remediation actions, and even executing them autonomously where safe to do so.

Rise of air-gapped and immutable backup systems

Ransomware has become more sophisticated, with attackers focusing on targeting backup systems to leave businesses without recovery options. In response, manufacturers will adopt air-gapped and immutable backups as a central tenet of their resilience strategies.

These backups are isolated from main networks—either physically or logically—ensuring that even in the case of a compromise, there are untampered, recoverable copies of critical data.

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Immutable storage, using technologies like AWS Object Lock or similar, will allow manufacturers to create “write once, read many” (WORM) backups that cannot be altered or deleted. This is crucial for ensuring the availability of recovery options even when primary systems are compromised.

Expansion of defense-in-depth with network segmentation

Segmentation will continue to be a key strategy to mitigate risk. In 2025, manufacturers increasingly will adopt a defense-in-depth approach, wherein IT and OT systems are compartmentalized into isolated segments, each requiring separate security verification. Segmentation limits the ability of attackers to move laterally across the network, thereby containing potential breaches.

Think of network segmentation as the bulkheads of a ship—if one compartment is breached, the others remain safe. By applying this principle to ICS environments, organizations can prevent the spread of ransomware or malware from less critical systems to those that manage core operations.

Addressing IoT complexity and securing industrial devices

The number of IoT devices in industrial environments will continue to surge in 2025, growing to more than 17 billion, according to some estimates. These devices often lack standardized security features, making them prime targets for attackers. IoT-enabled systems, such as smart sensors, connected alarms, and monitoring equipment, bring high efficiency but also considerable risk.

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Manufacturers must implement strong access control measures like multi-factor authentication (MFA), robust encryption protocols, and anomaly-based monitoring to prevent unauthorized access to IoT systems. Additionally, segmenting IoT devices from core OT networks will ensure that breaches of peripheral systems do not impact critical infrastructure.

Embracing IEC 62443 as the backbone of industrial cybersecurity

The IEC 62443 standard will see broader adoption across the industrial space by 2025. With the convergence of IT and OT, this standard serves as a unified framework to guide cybersecurity practices across diverse environments.

IEC 62443 covers everything from secure system architecture and product development to ongoing risk management, offering a holistic approach to securing industrial automation and control systems (IACS).

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Industrials will rely heavily on this framework to drive their compliance initiatives, secure supply chains, and protect proprietary manufacturing processes. The standard will play a critical role in bridging the gap between IT and OT, facilitating collaboration between engineers, security professionals, and operators.

Honeypot and decoy technologies to lure and identify attackers in networks

In 2025, manufacturers will increasingly leverage honeypot and decoy technologies to lure cyber adversaries and identify attack methods before they can inflict damage. Honeypots act as bait, mimicking critical systems and enticing attackers to interact with them, while decoys create convincing but false environments that distract attackers from actual production systems.

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By deploying these technologies, organizations can gather valuable intelligence on attack vectors, behaviors, and tools used by cybercriminals, enhancing their defensive posture. Honeypots and decoys not only help identify attackers but also provide early warning signals, allowing for proactive mitigation before a real attack escalates. As cyber threats grow more sophisticated, these technologies will be instrumental in staying one step ahead of attackers.

Call for industrial cyber resilience

In 2025, the convergence of IT and OT will bring both opportunity and significant risk to the industrial landscape. To thrive, manufacturers must evolve their cybersecurity strategies just as rapidly as adversaries are evolving their methods of attack.

A proactive approach, one that embraces AI-driven security, honeypot decoys, air-gapped backups, network segmentation, and standards like IEC 62443-is essential to building resilience.

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As the digital and physical worlds become even more intertwined, the ability to withstand and recover from cyberattacks, including those initiated by state actors, will determine whether industrial organizations can truly capitalize on the promise of Industry 4.0.

Cyber resilience is no longer a luxury; it is a fundamental requirement for keeping the business running and building a safer, more secure future for industrial operations.

See also: The 2024 Crystal Ball Report