Why Cyber Security Is Critical for UK Manufacturing Companies and how Syn-Star can help you.
The UK manufacturing sector is increasingly targeted by cybercriminals due to its reliance on operational technology (OT), legacy systems, and supply chain complexity. A successful cyberattack can halt production, corrupt data, and cause significant financial losses.
Syn-Star helps UK manufacturers stay secure by addressing the unique vulnerabilities in their industrial environments, offering proactive protection against ransomware, insider threats, and nation-state attacks targeting high-value intellectual property and production processes.
How we’ve helped to streamline operations, reduce IT costs, and improve security!
Manufacturers in the UK face a unique mix of IT and OT threats, including:
Ransomware attacks that lock critical production systems
Phishing emails targeting staff with poor cyber awareness
Unpatched legacy hardware/software running outdated OS
SCADA/PLC vulnerabilities exploited through exposed interfaces
Third-party risk from insecure supply chain partners
Syn-Star deploys layered security strategies that protect both factory-floor systems and corporate networks — essential for today’s hybrid industrial environments.
We provide tailored cyber security services specifically for manufacturers, including:
Cyber risk assessments Quarterly alignments & tech alignment manager
Network segmentation and firewall hardening
Endpoint Detection & Response (EDR) tools for legacy and modern systems
Security patching plans for unsupported or sensitive systems
24/7 threat monitoring and incident response
Our South UK-based team has direct experience working with CNC, SCADA, and MES systems — helping manufacturers avoid disruption while securing operations.
We understand switching providers can be a big decision so we’ve made a simple 4 step process.
Our friendly team is ready to discuss switching to Syn-Star for your IT needs.
We understand switching providers can be a big decision so we’ve made a simple 4 step process.
Our friendly team is ready to discuss switching to Syn-Star for your IT needs.
We’ve refined our simple 4-step onboarding process, designed to keep you informed and confident at every stage.
Most UK manufacturers must now comply with multiple cyber standards and regulations (either directly or through their supply chain):
Cyber Essentials & Cyber Essentials Plus (for supply chain assurance)
NIS2 Directive (for critical manufacturing and infrastructure)
ISO 27001 (for companies handling sensitive client or R&D data)
GDPR (for employee and partner data security)
Syn-Star guides your business through compliance audits, system alignment, and policy creation — ensuring you stay ahead of regulatory risks and procurement requirements.
Syn-Star also aligns with your compliance to ensure our QBR process is relevant to each of our manufacturing clients.
Recent examples illustrate the growing threat:
A precision engineering firm in the Midlands lost three weeks of production to ransomware due to a misconfigured firewall and outdated Windows Server OS (operating system).
A food manufacturer in Kent faced data loss when its MES system was compromised through an unsecured remote desktop connection.
Syn-Star works with manufacturers to proactively identify and close these types of vulnerabilities — before attackers exploit them.
This is through a complete technology alignment process.
Cyber security in manufacturing must be both strategic and practical. Key best practices include:
Segmenting OT (operational tech)/IT (information tech) networks to contain breaches
Limiting remote access to essential personnel, via VPN + MFA
Regular security audits and vulnerability scans
Routine backups and disaster recovery plans tested monthly
Employee cyber awareness training & testing to reduce human risk
We help you implement these without disrupting production uptime — aligning IT support with factory-floor realities.
We’re more than just IT support — we’re cyber security specialists with a deep understanding of manufacturing technology stacks, from legacy CNCs to modern ERP integrations.
✅ Regional expertise across Southern UK
✅ Proven track record in industrial IT environments
✅ Certified cyber professionals (Cyber Essentials, ISO frameworks)
✅ Rapid-response support tailored for high-uptime operations
We partner with manufacturers long-term to secure infrastructure, meet compliance, and support digital transformation at a pace that works for your business.
In most cases, yes, especially if your manufacturing business supplies to:
Defence or aerospace
Automotive OEMs
Government contracts
Large enterprises with strict supply chain requirements
Cyber Essentials (CE) and Cyber Essentials Plus (CE+) are now widely expected in the UK manufacturing supply chain. Increasingly, procurement teams view certification as a minimum security standard — even for small industrial suppliers.
It demonstrates that your business meets baseline cyber hygiene requirements.
It helps prevent common attacks such as phishing, malware, and unauthorised access.
It reduces cyber insurance premiums — and is mandatory for some policies.
It strengthens your position during tenders and compliance audits.
It ensures you’re keeping employee and customer data secure (GDPR alignment).
Syn-Star guides manufacturers through the entire certification process — from gap analysis to remediation and final submission — ensuring minimal disruption to operational production systems.
Many UK manufacturers run 24/7 operations and simply can’t take machines offline for routine patching. This is a unique challenge in industrial environments, but it is manageable.
Here’s how Syn-Star protects always-on factories:
Behaviour-based solutions detect and block malicious activity without modifying the underlying operating systems or firmware — perfect for un-patchable machines.
Critical operating systems are placed in protected segments, with strict access controls. Even if the main network is compromised, the production environment stays secure.
Highly sensitive systems can be physically or logically isolated so they’re shielded from external threats.
We coordinate with production teams to apply patches during micro-downtimes, shift changes, or maintenance windows.
Removing unnecessary user accounts, tightening permissions, and enforcing MFA dramatically reduces the attack surface.
Frequent, tested backups ensure you can recover quickly even if patching isn’t possible.
This layered approach protects your operations without interrupting productivity — essential for manufacturers who cannot afford downtime.
Absolutely — manufacturers remain one of the top targets for ransomware groups worldwide. According to recent UK cyber reports, over 25% of all ransomware incidents involve manufacturing or industrial organisations.
High uptime pressure — attackers know you can’t afford downtime.
Legacy systems that are easier to breach.
Low segmentation between IT and OT historically.
Supply chain value — attackers threaten partners to force payment.
High-value IP such as CAD files, prototypes, and formula data.
Once inside, attackers often aim for production systems, shared drives, or ERP software to cause maximum disruption. Even short outages can cost a factory tens of thousands of pounds — making manufacturing companies more likely to pay ransoms (which attackers count on).
Syn-Star uses a proactive defence model including endpoint protection, network monitoring, phishing defence, and rapid incident response to drastically reduce your ransomware risk.
Yes — and this is one of Syn-Star’s strongest advantages. Many IT providers understand office networks, but few understand the unique blend of IT, OT, legacy systems, and industrial control technology found in UK manufacturing.
Syn-Star bridges this gap by providing fully integrated support for:
Servers, cloud, laptops, email, authentication
Office networks and business applications
Cyber Essentials & ISO compliance
Endpoint protection and SOC monitoring
CNC controllers
PLCs and SCADA systems
MES, HMIs, and production-line software
Windows XP/7/10 embedded environments
Network segmentation for factory floors
Most factories have a mixture of old and new. We ensure they communicate securely without risking production downtime.
One provider responsible for the entire technology estate
Fewer gaps between IT and OT systems
Faster issue resolution and stronger security
Consistent, sector-specific expertise
No “finger-pointing” between different suppliers
This holistic approach is essential for modern cyber security in manufacturing, where threats often move laterally between IT and OT systems.
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