Five Cybersecurity Statistics That All Manufacturers Should Know About

Cybersecurity threats can be a huge business risk for all companies. Small and medium-sized manufacturers (SMMs) are often seen as an easy entry point into larger businesses and government agencies. SMMs are especially vulnerable to a cybersecurity event, they often are less prepared for an event, have valuable information that is not well protected, are willing to pay ransoms in order to avoid costly disruptions, and act as entry points to other valuable targets. But because SMMs often have less complex operational needs and IT/OT infrastructures, they may be able to quickly take some basic steps to defend their information and systems. One of the first steps when prioritizing how to manage your business risk is to gather information about the threat environment.

Throughout the years, NIST has released some great information regarding cybersecurity statistics that we thought hit home for many of our clients. The five cybersecurity statistics listed below focus on what manufacturers need to know about the “what” and “so what” of cybersecurity, so they can start planning their “now what” actions.

  • According to a recent SBA survey, 88% of small business owners felt their business was vulnerable to a cyber-attack.
  • The average cost of a ransomware ransom in 2024 is $2.72 million. This is an increase of almost $1 million from last year.
  • Small businesses account for 43% of cyber attacks annually and 46% of cyber attacks were small businesses with 1,000 or fewer employees.
  • An estimated 21% of all files are not protected in any way.
  • Among organizations that receive daily security alerts, an average of 44% of those alerts are not investigated.

There are many other statistics that capture the “what” and “so what” about why SMMs should consider instituting a cybersecurity practice. If you need help with the “now what” and are not sure where to start,

contact AIM’s Cybersecurity Coordinator Paul LaPorte by phone at 315-624-9800, or by e-mail at [email protected]

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