For Manufacturers, a New Kind of Threat, and a New Way to Defuse It

Hybrid attacks that move between cyber and physical domains are escalating — and manufacturers relying on siloed security systems are most exposed. Sign In Solutions CEO Scott Meyer outlines how Visitor Management 2.0 helps close the gap.

Scott Meyer, Chief Executive Officer of Sign In Solutions, writing for Manufacturing.Net, explores a rapidly evolving class of threat facing the manufacturing sector: hybrid attacks that move seamlessly between the digital and physical worlds.

Citing a January 2026 incident documented by CERT Polska, in which Russia-sponsored hackers targeted over 30 entities — including manufacturers, wind farms, and a heat and power plant serving 500,000 customers — Meyer argues that the traditional separation of physical security and cybersecurity has become a critical vulnerability. With AI accelerating the speed of attacks, manual processes and disconnected systems simply cannot keep pace.

The article introduces Visitor Management 2.0 as a framework for converging physical and digital identity management into a single, auditable environment. From intelligent prescreening triggered at first engagement, to automated compliance checks against denied-party lists, to device enforcement in sensitive areas — Meyer presents a practical blueprint for manufacturers looking to eliminate the blind spots that hybrid attackers exploit.

•  
• Hybrid threats are real and escalating — Attackers are now moving from IT systems to physical infrastructure, as demonstrated by the CERT Polska incident targeting critical services during extreme weather.
• Silos create dangerous blind spots — Disconnected visitor management, security, and compliance systems cannot match the machine speed at which modern attacks are executed.
• Prescreening must start earlier — Automatic background checks should trigger at the first point of engagement, not when a visitor arrives at reception.
• Device enforcement protects IP — Strict rules around personal devices in sensitive manufacturing areas help close physical-to-cyber breach paths.
• Converge your security teams — Physical security and cybersecurity must operate on a shared platform, automatically correlating access logs with digital activity.

Read the full article — Originally published in Manufacturing.Net.