If you’re a small manufacturer that’s embraced smart manufacturing to boost efficiency, you’re already ahead of the curve. But with those smart technologies comes a reality that’s hard to ignore: cyber threats are no longer just an IT problem. They’re hitting the plant floor too.
The challenge? You probably don’t have a big security team, or any security team at all, maybe it’s just a board level member, someone that looks after IT, and a Manufacturing Manager trying to juggle it all. You understand the risks, or at least have a little bit of understanding, but you’re busy keeping production moving and customers happy. We get it.
At Harpoon Consulting, we’ve helped small manufacturers just like you take their first smart, simple steps towards better OT security, without breaking the bank or overcomplicating things.
Size is no guarantee of OT security in manufacturing
Small manufacturers often think they’re too small to be a target. Unfortunately, that’s not how cybercriminals see it. If you’re connected, you’re a target.
Here’s what typically stands in the way for small sites:
- Cost Concerns: Big cyber budgets aren’t realistic.
- Limited Expertise: No OT security specialists on staff.
- Overlapping Roles: IT is doing double duty.
- Simple but Fragile Networks: One flat network connecting everything from the front office to the factory floor.
Real-World Story: One of our clients, a small, family-owned precision engineering firm, thought their “closed/air gapped” network was safe. Turns out, a contractor plugged in a personal laptop to update a CNC machine, accidentally bringing in malware that shut down their production line for two days. No segmentation, no asset visibility, and a costly lesson. A simple external devises policy could have prevented that incident.
Practical OT security steps manufacturers can take now
Map your assets
- Grab a coffee and sit down with your operations team.
- Make a simple list: what machines are connected, what software runs them, and how they’re networked.
- No fancy tools needed. A whiteboard or spreadsheet is fine to start.
- Or if you really want to get an in-depth, less time consuming, view of your assets, invest a small bit of money into a tool that can help.
Segment your network
- Think “zones.” Keep your finance systems away from your factory floor.
- If possible, create a separate Wi-Fi network for contractors or guests—don’t let them on your production network.
Set basic rules
- Who’s allowed to make changes to machines? Ideally just the one person to keep it easy depending on your amount of assets.
- How is internal access and remote access managed? (Hint: “just give them the password” or “the password is on the sticky note on the machine” isn’t a strategy.)
Watch and respond
- Set up alerts for strange activity, you’ll catch things early.
- Turn on basic logging on your firewalls and critical systems.
Train your people
- Keep it simple: “Don’t plug in unknown USB drives,” “Don’t install software without asking,” “Call IT if something looks odd.”
How Harpoon helps you win
We’ve rolled up our sleeves alongside small manufacturers and helped them:
- Build in depth OT asset inventories in under a couple of weeks.
- Pick monitoring tools that fit their budgets and their needs.
- Create phased security plans that don’t disrupt production and incorporate people, process and technology.
- Provide on-site or remote “on call” OT security support, without the overhead of a full-time hire for organisations to dip into when needed.
Introducing our OT Risk Insight service
If you’re not sure where to start, our OT Risk Insight service is designed exactly for companies like yours.
- We really get to understand your business and what will work for you.
- We map out your connected assets using state of the art tooling.
- We identify all vulnerabilities and prioritise by criticality and the biggest risks.
- We deliver a straightforward, actionable report you can actually use—not a 100-page “consultancy” document, that provides practical next steps and mitigation strategies.
- We give you a clear, prioritised plan that fits your reality.
In short: we help you see what’s going on, what needs fixing first, and how to move forward without stress, with real, in-depth data.
Simplicity Wins
You don’t have to “boil the ocean” to protect your operations. Smart manufacturing needs smart security—and smart doesn’t mean complicated. Start with small, practical steps. Build confidence. Grow from there.
At Harpoon Consulting, we’re here to make OT security simple, secure, and sustainable for small manufacturers. Ready to take your first step? Let’s talk about what simple looks like for you.
