Automotive Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity now tops production concerns as smart factories expand vulnerabilities
Cybersecurity has vaulted to manufacturers' top strategic priority as 84% rate digital threats as critical - yet the very smart factory systems delivering productivity gains are creating unprecedented attack surfaces across connected production environments
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 survey respondents identified cybersecurity and data protection concerns as a primary barrier, ranking second only to high initial costs at 46%.
This wariness appears well-founded given the technological trajectory manufacturers are pursuing. The survey reveals that 79% of respondents expect increased adoption of artificial intelligence and generative AI over the coming year, whilst 76% anticipate greater use of simulation software and digital twin technology. These systems demand constant data flows between operational technology and information technology networks, dissolving the air gaps that once provided rudimentary protection.
Smart Factory Implementation Challenges
Smart factories deliver their value through real-time data visibility, identified by 41% of respondents as a key benefit, and enabling data-driven decisions, cited by 44%. Yet these same capabilities require extensive sensor networks, cloud connectivity, and algorithmic processing that create multiple entry points for malicious actors. A factory optimised for productivity through digital integration becomes, by definition, a factory vulnerable to digital attack.
The challenge intensifies because modern manufacturing systems must balance accessibility with security. Production lines cannot tolerate the latency introduced by excessive authentication protocols, yet unrestricted network access invites exploitation. Survey data showing 95% of respondents viewing big data management and AI as highly significant over the next five years suggests this tension will escalate rather than resolve.
Robotics and the expanding perimeter
The proliferation of connected robotics compounds security complexity beyond traditional industrial control systems. Survey respondents report robust growth expectations across multiple robot categories, with 65% anticipating increased deployment of autonomous mobile robots and 58% expecting greater use of collaborative robots over the next year.
These systems introduce security challenges distinct from fixed automation. Autonomous mobile robots navigate factory floors using wireless networks, computer vision, and cloud-based fleet management systems. Collaborative robots operate in proximity to human workers with reduced safety barriers, demanding sophisticated sensor fusion and real-time decision-making. Both categories rely on software updates, remote diagnostics, and centralised control that create potential vectors for compromise.
Manufacturing Software Growth (Expected Increase in 2026)
Connected Robotics Growth (Expected Increase in 2026)
The distributed nature of modern robotics means a single vulnerability can cascade across entire production environments. Unlike legacy programmable logic controllers isolated to specific machines, contemporary robotic systems share networks, data repositories, and control architectures. A compromised autonomous mobile robot could potentially access the same network segments as enterprise resource planning systems or product lifecycle management platforms, both of which survey data indicates are growing in deployment.
Particularly concerning is the supply chain dimension of robotics cybersecurity. Survey findings show that new original equipment manufacturers and technology specialists embrace automation most aggressively, with implementation rates between 51% and 62%, whilst tier three suppliers lag at just 23%. This fragmentation means security protocols vary dramatically across the automotive supply chain, creating weak links that sophisticated attackers can exploit to access higher-value targets.
Digital twins and intellectual property exposure
The rapid adoption of simulation software and digital twin technology, expected to increase by 76% of survey respondents, introduces cybersecurity implications beyond operational disruption. Digital twins replicate physical manufacturing processes in virtual environments, containing detailed intellectual property about production techniques, quality parameters, and process optimisation that competitors or hostile actors could exploit.
These virtual replicas require continuous synchronisation with physical assets through sensor data, creating persistent connections between highly valuable digital models and internet-accessible systems. The survey data showing 64% of manufacturers expect increased deployment of manufacturing execution systems and 67% anticipate growth in production planning and scheduling systems suggests digital twins will integrate with ever more extensive software ecosystems, multiplying potential breach points.
And of course, electric vehicle manufacturing intensifies these concerns. With 66% of respondents expecting passenger electric vehicle production to increase and 52% forecasting commercial vehicle electrification growth, manufacturers are developing expertise in battery chemistry, thermal management systems, and power electronics that represent substantial competitive advantages. Digital twins capturing this knowledge become prime targets for industrial espionage.
The survey finding that 41% of respondents cite technological developments in battery and component manufacturing as the dominant factor influencing electric vehicle production efficiency underscores the value embedded in manufacturing data. Protecting this information whilst enabling the real-time analytics that drive continuous improvement demands security architectures far more sophisticated than those protecting traditional internal combustion engine production lines.
Supply chain vulnerability multiplication
Automotive manufacturing's deeply interconnected supply chains transform individual company cybersecurity weaknesses into systemic vulnerabilities. The survey identifies supply chain disruption, parts shortages, and inventory management as a 27% concern amongst respondents, but these physical manifestations increasingly stem from digital causes.
Modern just-in-time manufacturing depends on digital coordination between thousands of suppliers across multiple tiers. Survey data showing 64% of manufacturers expect increased adoption of supply chain management software reflects this dependency. Yet each supplier connection represents a potential entry point, and the finding that only 28% of respondents prioritise software, digitalisation, and data management to improve supply chain visibility suggests many manufacturers underestimate the security implications of these interconnections.
The shift towards dual sourcing and multi-sourcing strategies, cited by 27% of survey respondents, paradoxically increases cyber risk whilst mitigating physical supply disruption. More suppliers mean more network connections, more data sharing agreements, and more opportunities for compromise. The regionalisation and localisation trends identified by 30% of respondents as significant challenges further complicate security architecture by distributing manufacturing operations across jurisdictions with varying cybersecurity regulations and threat landscapes.
AMS/ABB Findings – Key Cybersecurity & Digital Risk Insights
Particularly troubling is the asymmetry between cybersecurity investment and dependency. Large original equipment manufacturers may maintain robust security operations, but their reliance on tier two and tier three suppliers with limited security budgets creates exploitable weaknesses. The survey finding that smaller suppliers lag significantly in automation adoption suggests they similarly trail in cybersecurity capability, yet their systems increasingly connect to sophisticated manufacturer networks.
The cost of protection versus the cost of failure
Cybersecurity implementation confronts manufacturers with uncomfortable economic realities. Survey respondents cite improving cost control and tighter budget management as their leading strategic response to industry challenges at 33%, yet robust cybersecurity demands sustained investment that offers no visible return until catastrophe is averted.
This tension manifests in smart factory deployment decisions. High initial costs, identified by 46% of respondents as the primary smart factory challenge, must accommodate security infrastructure that adds expense without directly enhancing productivity. The 29% of respondents citing workforce adaptation challenges and 28% identifying lack of skilled employees suggest manufacturers struggle to staff security functions adequately, let alone build redundant protective capabilities.
Yet failure costs dwarf prevention expenses. A sophisticated attack that halts production lines, corrupts quality data, or exfiltrates intellectual property could eliminate the efficiency gains manufacturers pursue through digitalisation. The survey data showing 42% of respondents identify maximising productivity as a smart factory benefit and 36% cite enabling flexible and scalable manufacturing illustrates how much value could evaporate from successful cyber attacks.
The automotive sector's experience with physical supply disruptions, ranked as a leading challenge by 27% of survey respondents, provides instructive parallel. Manufacturers learned that resilience requires redundancy and that apparent cost savings from lean operations prove illusory when disruptions strike. Cybersecurity demands similar recognition that adequate protection costs less than inadequate recovery.
Regulatory pressure and competitive dynamics
Cybersecurity concerns increasingly intersect with regulatory compliance, particularly as vehicles themselves become software-defined platforms. The survey finding that 95% of respondents view software, digitalisation, simulation, and digital twins as highly significant reflects this transformation, and with it comes regulatory scrutiny of data protection, consumer privacy, and vehicle security.
Manufacturers pursuing electrification face additional compliance burdens. Survey data showing 66% expect electric vehicle production increases means more manufacturers must protect sensitive battery management algorithms, charging protocols, and vehicle-to-grid communication systems. Regulatory frameworks governing these technologies continue evolving, and manufacturers demonstrating inadequate cybersecurity may face market access restrictions.
Cybersecurity Significance Rating (Next 5 Years)
Total rating cybersecurity as "Extremely" or "Quite" significant: 84%
Competitive dynamics further complicate cybersecurity strategy. Survey respondents identify faster product lifecycles and the shift to more flexible and modular manufacturing as leading complexity drivers at 38% each. This acceleration leaves less time for security validation and creates pressure to deploy systems before vulnerabilities are fully understood. Manufacturers who delay digital transformation for security reasons risk falling behind competitors, yet those who rush forward risk catastrophic breaches.
The near-universal recognition of cybersecurity's importance, reflected in the 95% of survey respondents ranking it as extremely or quite significant over the next five years, suggests the industry understands the stakes. Whether this awareness translates into adequate investment and operational discipline will determine not just individual company fortunes but the automotive manufacturing sector's resilience against increasingly sophisticated digital threats.
