Cybersecurity is now a boardroom issue as supply chain risks, ransomware, and geopolitical tensions converge on Africa’s industrial sector.
Manufacturing, once overshadowed in cyber risk discussions, has emerged as one of the most attractive targets for attackers in 2025. A new report by Check Point Research (CPR) reveals that factories and industrial entities are under siege, facing an average of 1,585 cyberattacks per organisation each week—a 30% year-over-year increase.
In Africa, the situation is even more acute: over the past four weeks, manufacturing and industrial firms on the continent endured an average of 1,872 weekly attacks per entity.
The findings underscore a stark reality: cyber threats are no longer just an IT concern but a core business risk with direct consequences for revenue, resilience, and reputation.
The Cost of Downtime
The economics of ransomware explain why manufacturing has become a prime target. Unlike financial institutions or healthcare providers, manufacturers may not hold vast amounts of consumer data. Instead, attackers exploit the industry’s dependency on uptime. Every hour of halted production can translate into millions of dollars in lost revenue.
“Attackers know that every hour of halted production can cost millions. That’s why ransomware groups view manufacturers as prime targets: they don’t need to steal sensitive customer data when they can simply shut down operations and demand payment,” notes Lorna Hardie, Regional Director: Africa, Check Point Software Technologies.
The global toll has been devastating:
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Clorox (2023): A ransomware attack disrupted operations, leading to $356 million in quarterly losses.
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Nucor (2025): North America’s largest steel producer was forced to halt production after a cyber breach.
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Sensata Technologies (2025): A ransomware incident crippled shipping and production, delaying order fulfillment.
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Schumag AG (2024): Sustained disruptions ultimately forced the German manufacturer into insolvency.
For Africa’s manufacturers, the risks are just as severe. Beyond immediate financial losses, attacks spark long-term consequences—broken contracts, damaged reputations, delayed innovation, and increased regulatory scrutiny.
Supply Chains: The Weakest Link
Few industries are as interconnected as manufacturing. Supplier networks span continents, with digital systems binding operations together. Every partner, IoT device, and operational technology (OT) endpoint can serve as a potential gateway for attackers. Criminal groups now specialise in selling stolen access into manufacturing networks, streamlining the path for ransomware affiliates.
One weak supplier, experts warn, can trigger cascading disruptions across entire industries. In just-in-time production environments, even brief interruptions ripple outward, eroding customer trust and inflicting long-lasting damage.
Africa’s situation is compounded by its dependence on Europe, the continent’s largest trading partner. Europe has introduced the NIS2 Directive, requiring stringent cyber resilience across critical sectors. For African firms, failure to comply could mean exclusion from lucrative supply chains.
“African businesses must act now to comply with the EU’s NIS2 Directive or risk losing valuable revenue streams through their European trading partners,” Hardie stresses.
Beyond Cyber Crime: Geopolitics at the Factory Gate
The threat to manufacturing extends beyond financially motivated crime. State-backed actors increasingly target manufacturers to steal intellectual property (IP) or sow disruption. Over the past two years, designs for drones, advanced automotive technologies, and defense-related systems have been stolen.
Hacktivist groups, often driven by political or ideological motives, also disrupt manufacturers tied to defense, energy, and critical infrastructure.
These campaigns underline a new reality: industrial security is as much about national competitiveness and economic stability as it is about IT hygiene.
Geopolitical tensions—from trade disputes to regional conflicts—have further elevated the risks. Manufacturing companies are increasingly pawns in larger struggles, exposed to attacks driven by factors well beyond traditional business considerations.
Executive Priorities: From Reaction to Resilience
The CPR report highlights that executives cannot afford reactive postures. Instead, resilience must be embedded into every aspect of manufacturing strategy. Four priorities stand out:
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Build Resilience into Operations
Downtime should be treated as a board-level risk. Continuity plans must be tested regularly, with recovery times measured in hours, not weeks. -
Secure the Supply Chain
Vendors and partners must meet defined cybersecurity standards. Full visibility into access points and third-party risks is essential. -
Protect Intellectual Property
IP theft is now a primary motive for advanced attacks. Companies should invest in monitoring, advanced detection, and data-loss prevention technologies. -
Invest in Proactive Defense
Compliance is not enough. A prevention-first strategy reduces the likelihood of disruption before it begins.
“Executives who embrace these priorities are not just defending against today’s threats, they are building a competitive edge. In an industry where uptime, trust, and innovation drive market share, resilience becomes a differentiator,” Hardie emphasises.
Cyber threats to manufacturing are intensifying, both in scale and sophistication. With legacy systems, interdependent supply chains, and minimal tolerance for downtime, the sector is uniquely exposed.
For African manufacturers, the message is urgent and clear: resilience is now a competitive advantage. Those who act decisively will not only protect their production lines but also secure their place in global value chains, especially as Europe raises the bar on cyber compliance.
Failure to act, however, could see Africa’s factories sidelined—locked out of trade, burdened by downtime, and vulnerable to the shifting tides of geopolitical and cyber conflict.