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KPMG Industrial Manufacturing: Reducing cyber disruption in disruptive times

Building Cyber Resilience Through Preparation, Mitigation, Response, & Recovery

Cyber incidents aren't just unexpected disruptions; they're opportunities to strengthen your organization's security posture, turning potential crises into manageable events that protect business continuity and foster a competitive edge. In today’s fast-paced digital world, merely reacting to an attack is insufficient.

In industrial manufacturing, the cyber threat landscape is rapidly evolving amid increasing regulatory demands. Regulations like UNECE/WP.29, GDPR, CCPA, and China’s PIPL are reshaping cybersecurity standards for connected systems, requiring manufacturers to navigate overlapping mandates across IT, OT, and product realms. This regulatory scrutiny coupled with a shortage of specialized cyber talent leaves manufacturing environments vulnerable. The reliance on a few experienced professionals creates risky single points of failure during incidents.

Further complicating matters is the convergence of IT and OT systems, which expands the attack surface and complicates incident response due to legacy systems and unclear accountability within operational technology. As threat actors, including sophisticated ransomware syndicates, nation-states, and hacktivists target industrial control systems more frequently, the need for proactive resilience grows. Insufficient supply chain security amplifies these challenges, as smaller suppliers often lack robust cybersecurity measures, introducing weak links into the ecosystem. Amid macro-economic pressures and fluctuating demand, investing in a comprehensive cyber resilience strategy is not just about compliance; it's a strategic differentiator that secures production continuity, supports regulatory compliance, and turns potential crises into opportunities for growth.

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Industrial Manufacturing: Reducing cyber discruption in discruptive times

Building cyber resilience through preparation, mitigation, response, and recovery

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Achieving cyber resilience requires adopting a proactive approach that anticipates threats and prepares organizations to respond effectively before incidents escalate into crises. By investing time and resources to identify vulnerabilities and lessen the likelihood of a breach, organizations can substantially reduce their risk exposure. Proactive efforts such as regular security audits, evaluating continuous security monitoring, and questioning assumptions from a threat actor perspective lay the groundwork for a robust cybersecurity strategy. In essence, prevention is not only cost-effective but vital for sustaining uninterrupted business operations.

Beyond prevention, effective resilience entails planning to mitigate the impact of incidents when they occur. Organizations that invest in thorough mitigation planning can swiftly contain breaches. This involves mapping critical systems, identifying key personnel and response teams, and implementing layered defenses to slow down or neutralize attacks before they escalate. Strategic planning ensures that even if a breach occurs, its impact remains contained, allowing for a controlled recovery process.

Equally crucial is the practice of regularly rehearsing response and recovery protocols. Routine exercises, simulation training, and scenario-based drills cultivate readiness across the organization. These activities not only enhance the tactical skills of response teams but also reveal any gaps in the incident response plan that could hinder recovery efforts. The confidence and agility developed through regular rehearsals enable faster, more coordinated responses when real-world events unfold, minimizing damage and restoring operations promptly.

Ultimately, a proactive approach to cyber resilience defines an organization’s strength against evolving cyber threats. By focusing on reducing breach likelihood, planning mitigation strategies, and extensively rehearsing response and recovery, organizations transform potentially devastating crises into opportunities that showcase robust security practices. This comprehensive strategy not only protects critical assets but also boosts stakeholder confidence, positioning the organization advantageously in the dynamic digital environment.

That’s why our enhanced service model, including trusted digital forensics, breach resilience assessments, and ongoing training is tailored for organizations that demand strong defenses and proactive risk management. With KPMG On-Demand Services, you gain more than a reactive incident response team; you receive a complete cyber response, recovery, and resilience service that partners with you every step of the way.

Key components of KPMG On-Demand Services include:

This detailed service framework supports your organization throughout—from preventing incidents to managing rapid responses and ensuring swift recovery. With KPMG On-Demand Services, your organization embarks on a path toward improved cyber resilience. Through our on-call retainer model, we don’t just stand by during incidents; we work with you continuously, enhancing your response, recovery, and overall resilience strategy.

Meet our team

Image of Jordan E Barth
Jordan E Barth
Principal, Advisory, Line of Business, Products, KPMG US

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