The Complete Cybersecurity Checklist for Manufacturers

A detailed audit resource tailored for today’s connected manufacturing operations.

In the modern manufacturing landscape, cybersecurity is no longer a back-office issue, but a frontline necessity.

With increased digitalization, IoT integration, and supply chain connectivity, manufacturers face growing risks from ransomware, IP theft, operational disruption, and regulatory noncompliance. Your production lines, ERP systems, and vendor relationships are now as vulnerable as your firewalls.

To help manufacturers navigate these challenges, USX Cyber has developed the complete cybersecurity checklist for manufacturers: a practical audit resource covering both operational technology (OT) and information technology (IT).

Whether you’re a mid-sized fabricator or a global defense supplier, this checklist will help you reduce risk, harden systems, and meet key compliance standards.

1. Network Segmentation and Perimeter Defense

Why it matters: Flat networks enable lateral movement for attackers. Segmentation protects critical OT systems from IT-borne threats.

• Segment production, administrative, and third-party access zones
  
• Use firewalls to isolate ERP, MES, and SCADA systems
  
• Apply IP allow lists for vendor and remote access
  
• Deploy next-gen firewalls and intrusion prevention systems (IPS)
  

2. ERP Security: Protecting the Brain of the Business

Why it matters: Your ERP system holds sensitive data from customer information to pricing models and production schedules.

• Restrict ERP access via role-based permissions
  
• Enforce multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all ERP users
  
• Monitor database activity for anomalies or unauthorized changes
  
• Conduct regular audits of ERP user roles and permissions
  
• Back up ERP data regularly with offline, immutable copies
  

3. Endpoint Protection and OT Device Security

Why it matters: Manufacturing environments include diverse endpoints: engineering workstations, PLCs, sensors, and more.

• Use endpoint detection & response (EDR) tools across all IT assets
  
• Deploy secure firmware updates on industrial control systems (ICS)
  
• Monitor USB and removable media access on production machines
  
• Ensure legacy OT equipment is isolated or monitored for risk
  

4. Compliance for Manufacturers

Why it matters: Noncompliance with frameworks like CMMC, NIST 800-171, SOC 2, or ITAR can lead to lost contracts, legal penalties, and reputational harm.

• Determine your compliance scope (CMMC Level 1–3, NIST 800-171, etc.)
  
• Map security controls using a platform like Guardient®
  
• Automate evidence collection and audit preparation
  
• Maintain audit trails and incident logs for regulatory reporting
  
• Assign a compliance officer or designate a managed service provider (MSP)
  

5. Employee Awareness and Access Control

Why it matters: Most breaches begin with human error: phishing, weak passwords, or accidental data exposure.

• Enforce strong password policies with regular updates
  
• Train staff on phishing detection and secure data handling
  
• Conduct role-based access reviews quarterly
  
• Use MFA for VPN, email, ERP, and cloud services
  
• Offboard terminated employees within 24 hours
  

6. Real-Time Monitoring and Incident Response

Why it matters: The sooner you detect a breach, the faster you contain the damage.

• Deploy 24/7 SOC monitoring or SOC-as-a-Service (like Guardient®)
  
• Implement centralized logging (SIEM) across IT/OT systems
  
• Test your incident response plan twice a year
  
• Identify who declares a breach and how fast they must act
  
• Ensure ransomware readiness: backups, containment, and recovery
  

7. Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery

Why it matters: Downtime in manufacturing = missed deadlines, lost revenue, and reputational risk.

• Maintain fully tested backups of ERP, MES, and SCADA systems
  
• Conduct tabletop exercises for cyber disaster scenarios
  
• Define RTO (Recovery Time Objective) and RPO (Recovery Point Objective)
  
• Store backups in geographically separate locations
  
• Assign DR responsibilities to individuals, not just departments
  

8. Vendor and Third-Party Risk Management

Why it matters: Your cybersecurity is only as strong as your weakest supplier.

• Vet vendors for security posture and regulatory compliance
  
• Use contracts with data handling and breach notification clauses
  
• Monitor third-party access in real time
  
• Limit vendor access to the minimum necessary systems
  
• Require vendors to maintain their own incident response protocols
  

Cybersecurity is Operational Risk

The manufacturing sector is under increasing pressure from regulators, partners, and attackers alike. Staying secure is no longer just about preventing breaches, but about ensuring operational continuity, winning contracts, and protecting your intellectual property.

Use this cybersecurity checklist for manufacturers as both a readiness assessment and a roadmap for continuous improvement. If you’re looking for a partner to help streamline the journey, USX Cyber is ready to help.

Third-Party Risk as a Board-Level Concern: The Case for Integrated Compliance Accelerators

Why Vendor Risk is Now a Top Priority for Boards

The modern enterprise no longer operates in a vacuum. Organizations today rely on a complex web of vendors, cloud providers, contractors, and SaaS applications to operate efficiently. While this interconnectedness fuels growth, it also introduces one of the most critical threats to business continuity: third-party risk.

From supply chain disruptions to data breaches via poorly secured vendors, third-party incidents are increasing in both frequency and severity. According to Security Scorecard, over 35% of data breaches now originate from third parties, a likely conservative number due to underreporting and misclassification. Many of these companies lack the robust security or compliance frameworks that enterprise organizations are required to maintain.

As a result, third-party risk has become a board-level issue. One that directly impacts financial, operational, and reputational outcomes. Increasingly, boards are asking a new question: How do we ensure that every entity we partner with aligns with our security and compliance standards in real time?

This is where platforms like GUARDIENT^™® XDR enter the picture.

Why Integrated Compliance Accelerators Matter

Traditional compliance approaches are static and reactive, conducting assessments once a year, relying on spreadsheets, and hoping vendors adhere to contract clauses.

Cybersecurity today demands more. It requires real-time visibility, automated evidence collection, and continuous alignment with frameworks like CMMC, SOC 2, HIPAA, and PCI DSS.

Integrated compliance accelerators, like those built into the GUARDIENT^™ XDR platform, automate and operationalize compliance across your vendor ecosystem, mitigating downstream risk and turning static checklists into active, enforceable controls.

It works like this:

1. Continuous Vendor Monitoring

GUARDIENT^™ continuously assesses third-party activity for suspicious behavior, anomalies, and access violations, ensuring vendors adhere to defined policies, not just at onboarding but at all times.

2. Compliance Automation for CMMC & SOC 2

Whether you’re a defense contractor under CMMC 2.0 or a tech provider working toward SOC 2 Type II, GUARDIENT^™’s built-in compliance automation accelerators map your cybersecurity controls to relevant frameworks and automate evidence collection.

This reduces audit preparation time and provides boards and auditors with proof of ongoing compliance.

3. Centralized Compliance Dashboard

Executives and security leaders gain access to a real-time compliance dashboard for cybersecurity. This unified view displays control status, risk scores, and vendor alignment, making it easier to identify weaknesses and communicate security posture at the board level.

4. Vendor Ecosystem Integration

GUARDIENT^™ is designed to integrate with the platforms your vendors already use. In turn, streamlining onboarding, extending visibility, and enabling policy enforcement beyond your internal perimeter.

GUARDIENT^™ XDR: The Best Cybersecurity Platform for Small Businesses and Scaling Enterprises

Small and mid-sized businesses often struggle with limited IT and compliance resources. GUARDIENT^™ XDR solves this by combining SOC-as-a-Service, advanced threat detection, and compliance automation in a single, affordable solution.

Key features include:

• 24/7 monitoring by a U.S.-based SOC team
  
• Automated compliance mapping for CMMC, SOC 2, HIPAA, PCI DSS
  
• AI-powered alert analysis to reduce noise
  
• Built-in compliance dashboards
  
• Unlimited user licensing with predictable pricing
  

Whether you’re defending against ransomware or preparing for a government contract audit, GUARDIENT^™ is designed to scale with your business, making enterprise-grade cybersecurity and compliance accessible to all.

Why Boards Must Act Now

Vendor risk is no longer a technical problem. It’s a governance issue, a compliance challenge, and a brand risk.

By investing in a unified cybersecurity platform with compliance automation, organizations can:

• Reduce audit costs and prep time
• Build trust with partners and regulators
• Gain real-time visibility into third-party security posture\
• Minimize the business impact of vendor-related incidents
  

Platforms like GUARDIENT^™ XDR don’t just react to threats. They enforce a higher standard across your entire ecosystem.

Go From Risk to Resilience

Third-party risk will only grow as digital ecosystems become more interconnected. Boards must now demand proactive, platform-driven solutions that don’t just detect problems, but prevent them.

GUARDIENT^™ XDR provides the tools and automation needed to ensure your organization and every partner you rely on is aligned, accountable, and secure.

Want to learn more about securing your business from third-party risk? Request a demo.

Smarter Scams: How AI is Changing the Phishing Game, and How to Fight Back

The cybersecurity environment has shifted dramatically. While the industry debates AI’s potential, threat actors have already weaponized it. They’re not waiting for permission or pondering ethics. They’re busy crafting phishing campaigns that would make traditional scammers look like amateurs with typewriters.

Here’s the uncomfortable truth: AI has democratized sophisticated cyberattacks. What once required specialized knowledge and weeks of reconnaissance can now be accomplished in hours by anyone with basic technical skills and access to machine learning tools.

The New Breed of AI-Powered Phishing

Traditional phishing emails were often easy to spot, like poor grammar, generic greetings, and obvious urgency tactics. AI has eliminated these telltale signs. Modern AI-powered phishing attacks are personalized, contextually relevant, and professionally crafted. They analyze public social media profiles, company websites, and even recent news to create highly targeted messages that feel authentic.

Consider this: an AI system can scrape LinkedIn to identify a company’s recent hires, analyze their writing style from public posts, and craft a spear-phishing email that appears to come from them. It can even adjust the tone and terminology to match the company’s culture. 

The speed is equally concerning. While human attackers might target dozens of victims per day, AI can generate thousands of unique, personalized phishing emails in minutes. Each one is tailored to its recipient, making traditional pattern-based detection methods less effective.

Beyond Email: Multi-Vector AI Attacks

AI-powered threats extend far beyond email. Voice cloning technology can recreate a CEO’s speech patterns from just a few minutes of audio, perhaps from a recorded conference call or public presentation. These deepfake voice attacks, combined with real-time information gathering, create convincing phone-based social engineering attempts.

Similarly, AI-generated websites can mimic legitimate business portals with remarkable accuracy. These aren’t the obviously fake sites of the past. They’re pixel-perfect replicas that fool even security-conscious users, complete with valid SSL certificates and professional design elements.

The Limits of AI in Cyber Defense

Major cybersecurity vendors often promote their AI-powered tools as cutting-edge solutions to today’s evolving threats. But the reality is more nuanced. While machine learning can improve detection, it’s far from the all-in-one solution that marketing suggests.

Many organizations face a flood of false positives, where AI tools mistakenly flag legitimate communications as threats. At the same time, advanced AI-generated attacks are bypassing these systems entirely because they don’t resemble the historical patterns the tools were trained to detect.

This is the critical shortcoming of many standalone solutions: they rely on outdated assumptions wrapped in modern language, creating blind spots that leave organizations exposed.

Practical Defense Strategies That Actually Work

First, acknowledge that technology alone won’t save you. The most effective defense against AI-powered phishing combines automated detection with human intelligence and robust processes.

Implement continuous security awareness training that goes beyond annual compliance videos. Your team needs to understand current attack vectors, not outdated examples from five years ago. Train them to verify requests through secondary channels, especially for financial transactions or sensitive data access.

Deploy email authentication protocols like DMARC, SPF, and DKIM properly. These aren’t new technologies, but they’re still underutilized. Many organizations implement them incorrectly, providing false confidence while attackers bypass them easily.

Most importantly, assume a breach mentality. When, and not if, a phishing attack succeeds, your incident response capabilities determine the damage. This means having visibility across your entire environment, not just endpoint monitoring or email security.

The Risk of Disconnected Defenses

The fragmented security tool approach that plagues many organizations becomes especially dangerous against AI-powered threats. When your email security doesn’t communicate with your endpoint protection, and your SIEM doesn’t correlate with your identity management, you create blind spots that AI attackers exploit systematically.

Effective defense requires unified visibility and automated response capabilities. You need systems that can correlate a suspicious email with unusual network activity, failed authentication attempts, and endpoint anomalies, all in real-time.

Moving Forward

AI-powered phishing is a present reality that’s evolving rapidly. Organizations that continue treating cybersecurity as a compliance checkbox rather than an operational imperative are essentially volunteering to become victim case studies.

The solution isn’t more disconnected tools or annual security theater. It’s comprehensive, integrated security that combines advanced detection capabilities with human expertise and proven processes. While AI has made attacks smarter, it hasn’t changed the fundamental principles of effective cybersecurity.

Your attackers are using AI. Your defenses should be equally sophisticated and actually integrated enough to work together when it matters most.

Ready to see how unified security and compliance can protect your organization against AI-powered threats? Contact us to schedule a demo of GUARDIENT^™ or explore our free security assessment to discover gaps in your current defenses.

USX Cyber Security Bulletin – WhisperGate

Executive Summary

It was recently discovered that a new malware dubbed WhisperGate was reported against Ukrainian targets. The software was reported to contain three individual components deployed by the same threat actor. This attack is known to contain malicious bootloaders that corrupt detected local disks, a Discord based downloader, and a file wiper. Following the attack users impacted usually receive an email or pop-up message that contains a message requesting bitcoin payment for your information.

Details

The installer components for the bootloader are identified by the SHA256 hash:

a196c6b8ffcb97ffb276d04f354696e2391311db3841ae16c8c9f56f36a38e92

The display ransom note:

Your hard drive has been corrupted.
In case you want to recover all hard drives of your organization,
You should pay us $10k via bitcoin wallet
With your organization name. 
We will contact you to give further instructions.

The bootloader accesses the disk via BIOS interrupt 13h in logical block addressing (LBA) mode and overwrites every 199th sector until the end of the disk is reached. After a disk is corrupted, the malware overwrites the next in the detected disk list. The bootloader installer does not initiate a reboot of the infected system, as has been observed in past intrusions. Reboot will also cause additional WhipserGate software to run.

Solution

Implement capabilities to search for indicators that will alert to software matching indicators of compromise (IOCs) related to the malicious software. The USX Cyber Team has deployed new Wazuh Rules within the Guardient^TM XDR platform to identify the IOCs. USX Cyber continues to monitor and remediate any and all related alerts.