KnowBe4 released its new report highlighting cybersecurity challenges facing the manufacturing industry. As the most targeted industry for cyberattacks for a fourth consecutive year, the report reveals that the manufacturing sector’s expanding digital footprint is putting operations, intellectual property and economic resilience at risk.
A particular concern raised in the report is the persistent threat of ransomware, which continues to dominate attacks in the sector. Manufacturing was the most targeted industry for ransomware from 2023 to 2024, according to the ENISA Threat Landscape 2024. A key reason for this is the industry’s low tolerance for downtime, with every minute of disruption potentially incurring massive costs and cascading effects across entire supply chains.
Key findings from the report include:
- The frequency of attacks against manufacturing is rising, as the number of confirmed data breaches increased by 89.2% from 2023 to 2024.
- According to the 2025 Verizon DBIR, ransomware accounted for 47% of all breaches in manufacturing, underscoring its dominance as the attack method of choice.
- Nearly half (47%) of all manufacturing breaches in 2024 involved ransomware. European manufacturers remain prime targets for major ransomware groups including LockBit, PlayCrypt, and 8Base.
- Human risk remains a critical vulnerability as social engineering was responsible for 22% of breaches in manufacturing organizations.
The report highlights the significant impact of security awareness training in reducing human risk within the manufacturing sector. Over a 12-month period of consistent and effective training, phishing susceptibility dropped from 31.8% to just 3.6% — a 89% reduction.
