Security Segmentation in a Small Manufacturing Environment

Small manufacturers tend to operate facilities with limited staff and limited resources often causing cybersecurity to fall by the wayside as something that takes too much time or cost. The resulting lack of cybersecurity leaves small manufacturers vulnerable to cyber-attack.

A cybersecurity strategy to help small manufacturers mitigate cyber vulnerabilities in their manufacturing environments

Security segmentation is the grouping of assets into security zones according to the cyber protection they need and placing appropriate safeguards around these security zones. This paper provides an overview of security segmentation, and then presents an example of a security segmentation design using a six-step approach.

Abstract

Manufacturers are increasingly targeted in cyber-attacks.  Small manufacturers are particularly vulnerable due to limitations in staff and resources to operate facilities and manage cybersecurity. Security segmentation is a cost-effective and efficient security design approach for protecting cyber assets by grouping them based on both their communication and security requirements.

This paper outlines a six-step approach that manufacturers can follow to implement security segmentation and mitigate cyber vulnerabilities in their manufacturing environments. The security architecture resulting from the security segmentation design activities is a foundational preparation step for additional security strategies like Zero Trust.

Security segmentation is a cost-effective and efficient security design approach for protecting cyber assets by grouping them based on both their communication and security requirements.

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