Before 2017, cybersecurity wasn’t a major concern for the CEOs of companies in the manufacturing industry. They assumed that it was something that only affected financial organizations and other industries that managed large quantities of data. However, when the WannaCry and NotPetya attacks hit, affecting many manufacturing companies, this changed.
It was the first time that companies in the sector had seen losses that could be directly attributed to cyberattacks. Furthermore, many organizations realized that, even if a company isn’t directly targeted by a cyberattack, it can still become a victim of this attack.
In spite of this, the manufacturing sector still faces many problems when it comes to protecting its cybersecurity. There is pressure in the industry to automate and digitalize processes, and the use of IoT devices significantly increases the attack surface. This is especially true if we bear in mind the fact that cybersecurity is not usually a top priority when it comes to buying these devices.
Other problems in the sector include the use of outdated or unpatched systems, and the fact that awareness of cybercriminal techniques such as spear phishing is limited compared to other industries.
Case study: Cibes Lift
The Swedish elevator manufacturer, Cibes, was founded in 1947. Cibes Lift produces between 4,000 and 5,000 lifts every year for over 50 countries; 15 of these countries have their own operations. In 2015, the first office in China was opened, and now the company has 20 offices around the world.
The situation
Jonas Persson is IT manager at Cibes Lift. He is responsible for guaranteeing the security of all of the company’s offices, carrying out his work from the Cibes Lift HQ in Gälve, thanks to the help of Panda Fusion 360 (a combination of Panda Adaptive Defense 360 and Panda Systems Management).
Challenges
One of the main challenges that faces an organization like Cibes Lift, which is constantly growing, it to maintain control over new users who join the organization when new recruitment processes take place. Jonas does this task remotely from Gälve.
It requires him to install and configure new networks and computers. For users in Europe, ready-installed computers are sent from headquarters; in Asia, local staff ensure that Adaptive Defense and Panda Systems Management are correctly installed.
Defending devices against attacks isn’t a simple endeavor; the protection must include a wide range of defense mechanisms, including traditional antivirus, antimalware, a personal firewall, web and email filtering, and device control. The protection must also include additional defenses against hard-to-detect advanced threats, such as targeted attacks and zero-days. IT departments used to have to acquire and maintain a series of products from different vendors to defend their computers. Now, things have changed.
The solution
Jonas needed a solution where remote working was no problem. This is why Frederik Losman from the Panda Security team in Sweden recommended him two cloud-based IT security solutions: Panda Adaptive Defense 360 and Panda Systems Management.
Panda Adaptive Defense 360 is the only solution that combines endpoint protection (EPP) and endpoint detection and response (EDR). What’s more, it allows tasks to be automated, which reduces the IT department’s workload. The service includes centralized, easy to manage security, remediation actions, monitoring, real-time reports, profile-based protection, centralized device control, as well as web monitoring.
Panda Systems Management allows Jonas to execute, monitor and administrate all of the company’s devices, regardless of where they are, both in the office and anywhere else.
With Systems management, Jonas can monitor Cibes Lift’s servers and receive alerts if, for example, a hard drive is about to crash or of a server’s hardware resources are running out. If an employee needs help with their computer, Jonas can also assist them directly from his computer, using remote access tools.
Evaluation
Having a comprehensive report of all capabilities makes it easier for the IT Manager or management team to make decisions about what needs prioritizing or changing.
When Jonas talks about Panda Adaptive Defense 360 and PCSM, time and again he comes back to the benefits of having two cloud-based solutions, and particularly how much PCSM has made it easier for him and his work when the majority of the work is done remotely.