In today’s connected factory, a security breach is rarely “just” physical or “just” digital. As hybrid attacks blend these two worlds, manufacturers must evolve their security strategy to protect their most valuable assets — their people, their data, and their intellectual property.
In a recent feature for Manufacturing.net, our Executive Vice President of Experiences and Design, Chris Burton, highlights a critical warning from CISA: the convergence of cyber and physical security is no longer a choice, but a necessity. Traditional organisational siloes — where the security guard in the lobby and the IT team in the server room don’t speak the same language — have become a major vulnerability. Burton explores how bad actors are now exploiting these gaps to move from a physical entry point to a full-scale cyberattack, or using digital disruption to cause physical chaos.
By transitioning to “Visitor Management 2.0,” organisations can shift towards a unified, data-driven environment that treats security and compliance as a continuous cycle. By moving safety measures “upstream” to the point of initial engagement and integrating physical access with digital identity, manufacturers can match the “machine speed” of modern threats. It’s about building a 360-degree view of every person on-site to ensure your facility remains both secure and operational.
Originally published in Manufacturing.net.