Manufacturing has held the title of the most cyber-attacked industry in the world for four consecutive years – and 2026 shows no signs of slowing down. Attackers are no longer just stealing data; they are shutting down production, halting logistics, corrupting industrial systems, and targeting OT/IT convergence points. The latest 2025–2026 threat intelligence paints a worrying picture: manufacturing is now being hit more often, more aggressively, and with higher operational impact than any other sector. Below is the 2026 state of cyber risk for manufacturers, backed by the newest available industry statistics and recent real-world cases.

Manufacturing Has the Highest Victim Count of Any Industry

Manufacturing remains the most targeted industry according to the 2026 Arctic Wolf Threat & Predictions Report, which found:

• The number of victimised manufacturers nearly doubled between 2024 and 2025.
• Manufacturing continues to top IBM’s X-Force list of target sectors for the fourth consecutive year. 

Why the increase?

The manufacturing industry is:

• Highly reliant on outdated OT systems
• Sensitive to downtime
• Operating huge supply chains
• Holding valuable IP
• Dependent on just-in-time logistics

These make it a high-reward, high-pressure target for ransomware groups.

Ransomware Recovery Costs for Manufacturers Now Average £400,000

According to Arctic Wolf, the median cost of a ransomware attack in manufacturing is now £400,000 – excluding reputational damage, lost contracts, penalties, and recovery labour. Operational downtime is the biggest cost driver. Manufacturers can’t ship, build, or move goods when systems lock. Attackers know this — and exploit it.

Real-world Manufacturing Breaches Show the Scale of Disruption

The UK has faced some of the world’s most disruptive manufacturing cyber attacks in recent years. In 2025, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) was hit by a major ransomware attack that shut down production at its Solihull and Castle Bromwich plants, encrypting critical operational systems and contributing to an estimated £1.9 billion economic impact.  Rolls-Royce reported unauthorised access through a third-party supplier, showing how vulnerable even the UK’s most advanced manufacturing ecosystems are to supply-chain compromise.  And in one of the UK’s most disruptive food-sector incidents, KP Snacks was forced to halt production across multiple sites after ransomware took down core systems, leading to supermarket shortages nationwide.  These incidents underline a clear reality: UK manufacturers are now prime targets for attackers focused not just on data theft, but on shutting down physical operations

Phishing & Social Engineering Are the Primary Entry Point

Manufacturers often assume attackers target firewalls or industrial control systems first. But the data shows something different:

• 85% of businesses that suffered cyber incidents experienced phishing as the main cause (UK Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2025).
• Social engineering attacks — supercharged by AI — are now “more convincing and harder to detect” across manufacturing environments.

Factory-floor staff, operational supervisors, or suppliers clicking a spoofed purchase order email is often all it takes.

Supply Chain Attacks Are Soaring: A Major Risk for Manufacturers

Supply chain breaches doubled year-over-year, now making up 15% of all cyber attacks, overtaking stolen credentials as an initial attack vector. Manufacturers are extremely vulnerable because:

• They rely on hundreds of suppliers
• Many partners have weaker security
• Attackers use vendor access to infiltrate larger networks

Example: The 2025 multi-platform campaign affecting Mailchimp, HubSpot and others showed how one supplier compromise can hit thousands of companies downstream.

What Manufacturers Should Do in 2026

Given the scale and frequency of attacks, manufacturers should prioritise:

1. Identity & Access Security

• Mandatory MFA everywhere
• User risk scoring
• Least-privilege access

2. Endpoint & Server Protection

• EDR across IT & OT assets where feasible
• Server isolation and segmentation

3. Phishing Defence

• Monthly phishing simulations
• Security awareness training
• Impersonation detection

4. Supply Chain Risk Management

• Vendor security assessments
• Third-party access monitoring

5. Business Continuity

• Offline backups
• Ransomware recovery playbooks
• Incident response rehearsals

6. Cyber Essentials / CE+ Certification

With the April 2026 Cyber Essentials v3.3 update adding mandatory MFA and cloud controls, the framework is now an ideal baseline for manufacturers looking to standardise their defences.

Conclusion: Manufacturing Must Stay Ahead of a Rapidly Escalating Threat Landscape

Manufacturing is now the #1 global target for cyber criminals, with a dramatic increase in ransomware, IP theft, and operational disruption throughout 2025 and into 2026. Attackers know manufacturers can’t afford downtime — and they exploit it ruthlessly. But with a combination of identity controls, modern security tooling, staff training, supply chain vigilance, and frameworks like Cyber Essentials, the industry can significantly reduce risk.