Ahmet Ö.
Corporate
- Thread Author
- #1
Zayo's 2026 Cyber Security Insights Report reveals a significant increase in cyberattacks targeting the manufacturing sector since 2024. Particularly, the intensity and targeted nature of distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks have recently escalated. These attacks, employing a different method than traditional data breaches, are increasingly becoming a threat to the industrial sector.
### What is a DDoS Attack?
DDoS is an attempt to disrupt a site or network with excessive traffic via a botnet, which consists of thousands of "zombie" devices instead of a single computer. These attacks render servers inoperable to prevent legitimate users from accessing them.
According to Zayo's report, attackers are moving beyond traditional telecommunications targets and directly attacking businesses and critical organizations. Although the number of attacks has slightly decreased compared to 2024, the frequency of attacks remains historically very high.
### Increasing Threats to the Manufacturing Sector
Max Clauson, Senior Vice President of Network Connectivity at Zayo, states that the increase in attacks is linked to the rise of artificial intelligence, IoT devices, and rented botnets. He emphasizes that this situation makes DDoS attacks a persistent and serious problem for all organizations.
Despite the manufacturing sector having a relatively small share of the total attack volume in terms of attack intensity, the average attack size is the highest at 11.6 Gbps. This indicates that even short-term outages can have significant operational impacts.
### Rising Connectivity and Security Strategies
Clauson points out that with the increasing number of AI and IoT devices in manufacturing, the integration of IT and OT systems expands the attack surface. He states that manufacturers need new security approaches and offers the following recommendations:
- Traditional, reactive security methods are no longer sufficient; real-time and automated attack prevention systems are essential.
- Security solutions should be integrated directly into the network infrastructure; technologies such as DDoS protection, SD-WAN, and managed firewalls should be used.
- Network traffic visibility should be increased, and environments should be segmented to quickly detect and stop attacks.
- Ultimately, operational resilience must be ensured, so that production continues even if disruptions occur.
### Attack Volume and Its Importance
Attack volume refers not only to the frequency of attacks but also to the total amount of traffic associated with attacks and the attack size. Research shows that the average attack size has grown by 70% annually. This indicates that manufacturers should focus not only on the number of attacks but also on the severity and intensity of the attacks.
Given that network outages in manufacturing directly lead to economic losses, comprehensive and rapid intervention is vital.
These developments show that with increasing connectivity, proactive and network-based cybersecurity solutions have become a priority for the sector.
