Machinery Manufacturing
11 weeks
India
Plant SCADA/PLC networks, IT-OT DMZ, engineering workstations, CAD/CAM and PLM systems across two manufacturing sites
Plant Siemens S7 and Allen-Bradley PLCs sat on the same broadcast domain as office VLANs. Engineering laptops moved between SCADA HMIs and email-enabled corporate Wi-Fi, creating an unmonitored bridge for ransomware lateral movement.
Windows 7 HMIs and legacy SCADA servers running unsupported Wonderware versions could not be patched without vendor sign-off. A single phishing hit on shop-floor supervisors risked halting production lines for days.
Proprietary SolidWorks assemblies and Siemens Teamcenter PLM data were accessible from contractor laptops over flat VPN with no DLP, watermarking, or egress controls — a direct path for design IP theft by insiders or vendors.
Mapped every asset to Purdue Levels 0-5, modelled conduits and zones per IEC 62443-3-2, and validated DMZ firewall rules between Level 3.5 and Level 4 using passive Nozomi-style discovery and offline Nmap scans on mirror ports — zero PLC disruption.
Executed read-only Modbus, S7comm, and EtherNet/IP enumeration during planned maintenance windows. Simulated TRITON, EKANS, and LockerGoga TTPs against HMI hosts in an isolated lab clone, validating EDR coverage and AD tiering against ATT&CK for ICS techniques T0836, T0859, T0884.
Reviewed Teamcenter access controls, SolidWorks PDM check-out logs, and contractor VPN policies. Recommended a hardened jump-host architecture, RBAC tightening, USB-mass-storage blocking via GPO, and watermarked CAD exports to deter and trace design IP leakage.
Including 9 critical issues — exposed Modbus on a public-facing engineering jump server, default credentials on five HMIs, and a writable SMB share holding CAD masters.
Every critical and high finding closed and revalidated in a 3-week retest, with segmentation rules witnessed live on the Palo Alto IT-OT firewall before sign-off.
Zero unplanned line stoppages from cyber events post-engagement, with two phishing-led ransomware attempts contained at the IT layer and never reaching the plant network.
Certbar Security collaborated with a leading machinery manufacturing firm to enhance their cybersecurity framework. This case study delves into our strategic approach to identifying vulnerabilities and implementing robust security measures tailored for the manufacturing sector. Our solutions were designed to protect sensitive intellectual property, ensure operational continuity, and safeguard against evolving cyber threats.
Through our comprehensive cybersecurity services, the machinery manufacturing firm achieved substantial enhancements in their security posture. This case study highlights our methodology from initial assessment to final implementation, showcasing the tangible benefits realized. Enhanced data protection, reduced risk of cyber attacks, and improved operational efficiency are key outcomes, underscoring Certbar Security’s value in the manufacturing industry.
FAQs
Machinery manufacturing firms often encounter threats such as data breaches, ransomware attacks, and intellectual property theft, which can compromise sensitive data and disrupt operations.
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