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Africa’s dependence on European trade means bolstering their industrial supply chains.
Key Insights from 2025 Check Point Research Manufacturing Report
- Manufacturing faces an average of 1,585 weekly attacks per organisation, a 30% year-over-year increase.
- In the last four weeks, Africa’s industrial and manufacturing entities experienced an average of 1,872 attacks weekly.
- Ransomware remains the dominant threat, with incidents costing hundreds of millions in losses and in some cases forcing insolvency.
- Supply chain connectivity magnifies risk. One weak supplier can cause ripple effects across entire industries.
- State-backed and hacktivist groups are targeting manufacturing for both disruption and intellectual property theft, making security a matter of national competition.
Introduction
Manufacturing is increasingly one of the most attractive targets for cyber attackers. Once overlooked in favour of data-rich industries, today’s factories are caught in the crossfire of ransomware economics, geopolitical conflict, and global supply chain disruption. For manufacturing executives, this means that cybersecurity is no longer just an IT issue. It’s a core business risk that directly impacts revenue, resilience, and reputation.
RELATED: Securing Africa’s manufacturing sector against cybercrime
Download the full Manufacturing Security Report to explore the data, trends, and case studies shaping the future of industrial cyber resilience.
2025 CPR Manufacturing Report | Check Point Software
The Cost of Downtime
In 2025, manufacturers faced an average of 1,585 weekly cyber attacks per organisation, a 30% increase YoY. Latin America and the APAC region were the hardest-hit regions, with Taiwan averaging 5,100 weekly attacks. Europe recorded the fastest growth, with six of the top 10 countries for year-over-year growth in attacks on the manufacturing sector. In the last four weeks, Africa’s industrial and manufacturing entities experienced an average of 1,872 attacks weekly.
“Attackers know that every hour of halted production can cost millions. That’s why ransomware groups view manufacturers as prime targets: they don’t need to steal sensitive customer data when they can simply shut down operations and demand payment,” says Lorna Hardie, Regional Director: Africa, Check Point Software Technologies.
Global examples include:
- Clorox (2023): A ransomware attack disrupted operations, leading to $356M in quarterly losses.
- Nucor (2025): North America’s largest steel producer was forced to halt production after a cyber breach.
- Sensata Technologies (2025): A ransomware incident crippled shipping and production, delaying order fulfillment and straining customer relationships.
- Schumag AG (2024): Sustained ransomware disruptions ultimately forced the German manufacturer into insolvency.
Beyond the direct financial toll, ransomware attacks often spark cascading effects: loss of customer trust, broken contracts, delayed innovation, and increased regulatory scrutiny. For many manufacturers, reputational damage and long-term competitiveness are just as costly as the initial disruption.
Supply Chains: The Weakest Link
Manufacturers don’t operate in isolation. With deep supplier networks, global partners, and reliance on IoT/OT systems, every connection is a potential entry point for attackers. Criminal groups now specialise in selling stolen access into manufacturing networks, giving ransomware affiliates a direct path inside. A single weak supplier or unsecured IoT device can be the domino that topples an entire production line. The impact extends far beyond one company. Supply chain compromises can cascade to disrupt entire industries, delay shipments, and erode customer trust.
Recent years have shown how a compromised supplier can trigger a ripple effect across thousands of downstream businesses. For manufacturers competing on just-in-time delivery and efficiency, even short interruptions can cause lasting harm to revenue, customer loyalty, and brand reputation.
Africa’s dependence on Europe as its largest trading partner makes its supply chains especially vulnerable. Europe’s recent NIS2 directive sets stringent requirements for member states and critical sectors to protect essential services and infrastructure against cyber threats.
“African businesses must act now to comply with the EU’s NIS2 Directive or risk losing valuable revenue streams through their European trading partners,” Hardie says.
Beyond Cyber Crime: Geopolitics at the Factory Gate
State-backed attackers increasingly target manufacturers for intellectual property theft and strategic disruption. In the past two years, drone blueprints, advanced automotive designs, and defense-related technologies have all been stolen. At the same time, politically motivated hacktivists are disrupting manufacturers tied to defense, energy, and critical infrastructure supply chains.
The implications go beyond immediate losses. Intellectual property theft can erode competitive advantage for years, while production disruptions ripple through entire economies and critical supply chains. These incidents illustrate that manufacturing security is not simply a technical issue but a matter of national competitiveness and economic stability.
Geopolitical tensions, from trade disputes to regional conflicts, are fuelling this trend. Manufacturers are increasingly caught in the middle, targeted not only for profit but as pawns in broader political struggles. Executives must recognise that their companies may be exposed to risks that originate far outside traditional business considerations.
Executive Priorities and Insights
Manufacturing leaders cannot afford a reactive posture. To safeguard operations, revenue, and reputation, executives should focus on the following priorities:
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Build Resilience into Operations
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Treat downtime as a board-level risk. Ensure continuity plans are tested and recovery times measured in hours, not weeks.
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Secure the Supply Chain
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Enforce cyber security standards across vendors and partners. Require visibility into access points and third-party risks.Â
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Protect Intellectual Property
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Cyber threats to manufacturing are no longer random. They’re deliberate, strategic, and often geopolitical. This requires investment in intelligence-led defenses and crisis communication strategies. Assume IP is a top target for nation-state actors. Invest in monitoring, advanced detection, and data-loss prevention.Â
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Invest in Proactive Defense
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Go beyond compliance. Adopt a prevention-first strategy that reduces the likelihood of disruption before it begins.
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“Executives who embrace these priorities are not just defending against today’s threats, they are building a competitive edge. In an industry where uptime, trust, and innovation drive market share, resilience becomes a differentiator,” Hardie says.
Conclusion
Cyber threats to manufacturing are intensifying in both scale and impact. The sector is uniquely exposed, balancing legacy systems, interconnected supply chains, and minimal tolerance for downtime. For executives, the message is clear: cyber resilience is now a competitive advantage. Those who act decisively today will protect not only their production lines but also the future of their business.
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2025 CPR Manufacturing Report | Check Point Software
COVER PHOTO: ITK Engineering
