If you’re in manufacturing and you think smart factories are creating a new security problem, it may be the other way around. They’re exposing one that’s been building up for years.
For decades, the mental model was that information technology (IT) ran the business and operational technology (OT) ran the plant. Production technology was largely isolated and working just fine, thank you. Smart manufacturing is changing that.
According to Deloitte’s 2026 Manufacturing Industry Outlook, 80% of manufacturing executives plan to boost smart manufacturing initiative budgets, with 20% or more going to improve automation, analytics, and sensors.1
That all sounds promising except that IT and OT convergence is happening fast and security is not keeping up.
IT/OT convergence is opening the door to some of manufacturing’s most exciting innovations including real-time production monitoring, predictive maintenance and automated quality control. But every new sensor, cloud connection, application, or integration expands the environment that needs to be protected. When connectivity moves first and security follows, a gap opens between what the factory can connect and what the organization can effectively secure.
That’s the convergence trap: the faster manufacturers connect the factory, the easier it is for security to fall a step behind.
And manufacturers are already dealing with a difficult threat environment with manufacturing accounting for 27.7% of cybersecurity incidents in 2025, 2 and the fifth year in a row that manufacturing took the top spot above other industries. A 2026 report identified industry weaknesses in areas including credential hygiene, software configuration, and access controls.3
A lot of the technology on factory floors was built for longevity, and it has lasted. But now some systems and software is be outdated or unsupported. And others work well but weren’t designed to connect to corporate networks, cloud platforms, vendors, or other production systems.
Three issues tend to show up in both scenarios:
Ripping and replacing every legacy asset isn’t the answer. Understanding where the exposure is and protecting what can’t be modernized is the right first step.
Cyber incidents that stem from IT and OT connections can stop production, damage equipment, delay orders, or create safety issues. So they are much more than just an IT problem. In NIST’s 2026 manufacturing cybersecurity guidance, it noted that when OT becomes more interconnected with IT networks, cyber threats can be a risk for operations, safety, and property.4 That puts the issue front and center on the executive agenda. Even if a CISO owns security, CIO the technology, and the plant leader owns production, an IT/OT incident in a connected environment breaks the boundaries and becomes everyone’s problem.
As IT and OT become a single operating environment, organizations have to find ways to make the two domains work well together, including recognizing that the factory floor has different equipment, priorities and operating constraints.
Four priorities can help make the process more seamless.
Smart manufacturing isn’t slowing down; security needs to move with it. A technology and security partner can help identify IT/OT gaps, prioritize risk, and build a roadmap that protects transformation without slowing production.
NexusTek helps manufacturing companies build an integrated model that works for their business, including proactive detection, prevention, and response across IT/OT with the. See where your IT/OT security posture stands.
https://www.nexustek.com/contact-us
Sources:
1. Deloitte, 2026 Manufacturing Industry Outlook, November 2025
2. IBM, Why manufacturing companies are most vulnerable to hacking, April 2026
3. IBM, 2026 X-Force Threat Intelligence Index: Making the case for securing identities, AI‑enhanced detection and proactive risk management, February 2026
4. NIST, Now Available: NIST SP 1800-41, Responding to and Recovering from a Cyber Attack, May 2026