Transicon is partnering Siemens to help SME manufacturers strengthen operational technology cyber security, with a new Industry Masterclass focused on the risks facing connected factory control systems.
The Telford-based engineering specialist will host the session on 21 July as part of its Industry Masterclass series. Specialists from Transicon and Siemens will cover the differences between IT and OT security, common weaknesses in manufacturing environments, and practical steps that can be taken without disrupting production.
Demand for support has been rising as manufacturers upgrade legacy control systems and connect more production equipment to wider business networks. Many factories still operate programmable logic controllers, supervisory systems, drives, and industrial networks installed before cyber security became a routine engineering consideration. As those systems are connected to production data platforms, remote access tools, enterprise software, and cloud services, the risk profile changes.
Research cited by Transicon shows that 78% of UK manufacturers experienced a cyber security incident in the past 12 months, with 95% reporting business disruption as a result. Three quarters experienced between one and seven days of downtime after an incident, while more than half of affected manufacturers faced financial losses above £250,000.
The same research found that only 22% of manufacturing organisations assign cyber security responsibility to board or executive leadership, while 55% leave it primarily to IT teams. That split creates a structural weakness where factory systems are treated as ordinary network assets, despite carrying different constraints around uptime, safety, patching, validation, and long equipment lifecycles.
Operational technology cannot always be protected using the same methods as office IT. A software patch that is simple in an administrative environment may need testing against production equipment before deployment. A control system that cannot be shut down without stopping a line may require a phased protection plan. Remote access that improves service response can also become a route into critical equipment if identity, segmentation, and monitoring are weak.
Smaller manufacturers often face the hardest version of the problem. They may have the same exposure as larger companies but fewer dedicated cyber security staff, less complete asset visibility, and tighter budgets for infrastructure upgrades. Responsibility can fall between engineering, IT, management, and external service providers, leaving nobody with a full view of plant-level risk.
Digital manufacturing is widening that gap. Production monitoring, predictive maintenance, energy management, robotics, data analytics, and AI-supported tools all depend on better connectivity. The operational gains can be substantial, but unmanaged connectivity can turn legacy systems into exposed entry points. The factory network is becoming a production asset in its own right, and it now needs the same engineering discipline as machinery, safety systems, and utilities.
Security monitoring is also developing around the specific demands of industrial operations. The launch of a sovereign AI-driven security operations platform by e2e-assure showed how cyber protection is moving closer to environments where IT and OT have to be monitored together. Plant-level protection still depends on fundamentals: asset discovery, segmentation, controlled remote access, backup discipline, incident response planning, and clear ownership.
The Transicon and Siemens session is built around phased improvement rather than disruptive replacement. That approach suits manufacturers running older systems that cannot be changed quickly but can still be protected more effectively. Even modest changes, such as removing unnecessary remote access, mapping critical assets, separating networks, or improving backup procedures, can reduce exposure before larger upgrades are possible.
Cyber security is now part of automation engineering. Machine builders, systems integrators, plant engineers, IT teams, and senior management all influence how securely a production system operates. Treating cyber risk as an office problem leaves the factory exposed to downtime, scrap, delayed orders, safety concerns, and reputational damage. The companies that make progress will be those that turn OT security from a technical anxiety into a managed operational discipline.
