Masterclass webinar will help SME manufacturers tackle cybersecurity threats in operational technology

UK engineering specialist Transicon is partnering with global technology leader Siemens to offer SME manufacturers expert-led guidance on one of the most pressing challenges facing the manufacturing industry. Transicon, which has been delivering industrial automation and control system solutions since 1967, will host a webinar on 21 July as part of its ongoing ‘Industry Masterclass’ series, bringing together specialists from both companies to help smaller manufacturers get to grips with operational technology (OT) cybersecurity.

The session comes as Transicon faces growing demand for its expertise in upgrading legacy control systems and new data from security firm ESET reveals the scale of the threat facing UK manufacturers. According to the ESET for Manufacturing report, 78% of UK manufacturers experienced a cybersecurity incident in the past 12 months, with 95% reporting business disruption as a result.

Three quarters experienced between one and seven days of production downtime following an incident, while over half of those affected faced financial losses exceeding £250,000 with nearly one in five reporting losses above £1 million.

Despite the scale of the risk, the same research found that only 22% of manufacturing organisations assign cybersecurity responsibility to board or executive leadership, with 55% leaving it primarily to IT teams – a gap that specialists at Transicon and Siemens say leaves many manufacturers dangerously exposed.

Niall Sephton, senior project engineer at Transicon, says the findings reflect what the company was seeing on the ground across its client base: “The figures are stark but they’re not surprising to those of us working with these systems day to day. One of the biggest issues we encounter is manufacturers assuming that because their IT security is in good shape, their OT is covered too. It isn’t. OT cybersecurity is a completely different discipline and the systems running production lines were never designed with cyberthreats in mind

He continues: “Many of the control systems and PLCs still operating in UK factories were installed decades ago, long before connectivity and cybersecurity were even part of the conversation. As those systems become more connected, the risks grow and often without anyone on site realising it. The good news is that there are practical, manageable steps manufacturers can take, and that’s exactly what this masterclass is designed to help with.”

The webinar, hosted in partnership with the Manufacturing Revenue Growth Summit, will be led by Transicon’s head of business development Laura Hayton and will feature Niall alongside Marie Aylward, cybersecurity and networking sales specialist at Siemens. This conversation-led session is set to draw on first-hand experience of the real challenges facing industry and the solutions available.

The free session is designed specifically for SME manufacturers – businesses that, as the ESET data suggests, are less likely to have dedicated cybersecurity resources and may be unclear about where to start. It will cover the key differences between OT and IT security, where cybersecurity implementation typically falls short in real manufacturing environments and how to build a practical, phased approach to improvement without disrupting operations.

Marie Aylward, cybersecurity and networking sales specialist at Siemens, says: “When manufacturers think about cybersecurity, the instinct is often to look at technology first and what systems they have or what they might need to buy. But in our experience, some of the most significant vulnerabilities come down to people and processes, not just technology. Securing an OT environment properly means investing in all three, and for many SMEs that’s not yet happening. This masterclass is about helping manufacturers understand the full picture and giving them a practical route forward.”

Niall adds: “This isn’t about scaremongering or overwhelming people with technical complexity. It ‘s about giving manufacturers a clear, practical framework so they can assess where they are, understand their priorities and start making progress. We work with businesses of all sizes across UK manufacturing and we know that for many SMEs, this is an area where they genuinely want guidance but aren’t sure where to turn.”

The webinar is free to attend and open to operations managers, engineering managers, production leaders, maintenance and controls engineers, and anyone with responsibility for the security and resilience of manufacturing systems.