84% Rate Digital Security Critical
84% Rate Digital Security Critical
Publish Date: 2026-02-12 06:34:00
Source Domain: www.automotivemanufacturingsolutions.com
The elevation of cybersecurity to top-tier strategic importance, revealed in the latest AMS/ABB Automotive Manufacturing Outlook Survey, 2025, represents a groundswell in how manufacturing executives now perceive operational risk. Where physical security and process safety once dominated executive attention, digital vulnerabilities now command equal billing with cost management and production efficiency amongst the 473 global respondents spanning original equipment manufacturers, tier suppliers, and technology specialists.
This transformation stems not from isolated high-profile breaches but from the inexorable march towards connected factories, intelligent manufacturing systems, and data-intensive production environments that expand attack surfaces exponentially. The survey data suggests manufacturers understand that digital transformation and cyber risk are inseparable rather than sequential challenges.
The rapid adoption of simulation software and digital twin technology, expected to increase by 76% of survey respondents, introduces cybersecurity implications beyond operational disruption
The smart factory vulnerability
Smart manufacturing environments, whilst offering substantial operational benefits, create unprecedented security exposure. One the one hand, digitalisation is critical to production efficiencies, while on the other, implementation clearly multiplies risk. From a recent example, Jaguar Land Rover’s late-August cyberattack forced at least five weeks of shutdown and, at an estimated £1.9bn ($2.5bn), is described by the Cyber Monitoring Centre as the most financially damaging cyber incident in British history, further laying bare the fragility of modern vehicle manufacturing.
Automotive producers are now starkly aware of this reality. When asked about smart factory implementation challenges, 34% of…
