Ransomware hammers manufacturing sector

Ransomware attacks on manufacturers are skyrocketing. For cybercriminals, the sector sits at a sweet spot on the risk-reward continuum.

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• Alissa Irei, Senior Site Editor

The manufacturing sector is increasingly bearing the brunt of ransomware attacks, ranking as the most-targeted sector in separate analyses from researchers at NordStellar, KELA, ZeroFox, GuidePoint Security and Dragos.

The reason is simple, according to experts: Ransomware operators want to maximize reward while minimizing effort and risk. In short, manufacturers are easy targets because their highly interconnected IT/operational technology (OT) systems are built on vulnerable legacy equipment, and their low tolerance for production delays motivates them to pay to end attacks. Just over half of manufacturing victims made ransom payments in 2025, according to a recent Sophos survey. The median amount was $1 million, and 18% of payments were $5 million or more.

"Disruptions in manufacturing that result in ...