80 percent of British manufacturing companies have suffered at least one cyberattack in the past year. This is shown by a study from security vendor ESET, published on April 1, 2026.
Impact
The attacks have concrete operational consequences: factory shutdowns, revenue losses and supply chain disruptions are no longer the exception but routine, according to ESET. The manufacturing industry is particularly vulnerable because OT systems (Operational Technology) often run on outdated software and are directly connected to IT networks.
Why Manufacturing?
Production facilities cannot afford to take systems offline for updates. Many SCADA and ICS systems run on Windows versions that have not received security updates for years. At the same time, the attack surface is growing through IoT sensors, remote maintenance and cloud connectivity.
Relevance for DACH
The situation in Germany, Austria and Switzerland is likely comparable. Mechanical and plant engineering is a core sector of the DACH economy — and equally affected by the convergence of IT and OT. NIS2 will tighten reporting obligations and security requirements for many manufacturing companies from October 2026.
Source: ESET UK Manufacturing Cybersecurity Report (01.04.2026), The Register.