January 2025 www.drivesncontrols.com 8 n NEWS ALMOST 90% OF UK INDUSTRIAL organisations have experienced at least one cybersecurity incident in the past 12 months, with many suffering repeated breaches, according to a survey by the cybersecurity company Kaspersky. It quizzed 406 decision-makers in UK enterprises with more than 1,000 employees in sectors such as manufacturing, energy, and oil and gas. In the energy sector, 95% of the organisations surveyed reported being targeted, often resulting in downtime and financial losses. The report says that industries are shifting their focus from preventing cyberattacks to mitigating the damage. The survey reveals that one of the sector’s biggest concerns is the vulnerability of connected and IoT devices, with 21% of those surveyed ranking IoT vulnerabilities as their top worry. The rapid adoption of IoT by industry has expanded the attack surface, creating new entry points for cybercriminals. Human factors continue to pose a significant risk, with 18% of respondents identifying insider threats as a persistent problem, alongside concerns about unauthorised access and credential theft. Kaspersky says that this highlights the need for stronger access controls and monitoring of illicit activities by employees. The survey also identified barriers that are preventing organisations from fully understanding cybersecurity issues. A quarter of respondents cited confusing technical jargon, while a similar number pointed to difficulties in quantifying cyber-risks and balancing regulatory compliance with operational efficiency. Budget constraints, sometimes considered as a significant hurdle, were less prominent, with only 20% of respondents citing them as a major concern. Kaspersky says that this suggests that understanding, rather than cost, is the main obstacle to implementing more effective cybersecurity defences. As industrial operations rely increasingly on interconnected systems and automation, vulnerabilities in OT (operational technology) environments have come to the fore. OT is particularly susceptible to targeted cyberattacks, according to Kaspersky. Many organisations are finding it difficult to secure these systems, leaving them exposed as the threats shift from IT networks to OT infrastructures. The research highlights the importance of closing this gap before it leads to more severe incidents, which could affect both production lines and national infrastructure. “Our research shows that cyberattacks in industrial sectors are not a matter of ‘if,’ but ‘when’, says David Emm, principal security researcher at Kaspersky. “As businesses digitise and connect more of their operational technologies, the need for robust and holistic cybersecurity strategies has never been more pressing. Organisations must address both IT and OT vulnerabilities if they are to stay ahead of and manage the evolving threats landscape.” • Russian-headquartered Kaspersky is closing its UK office with the loss of up to 50 jobs. The company will continue to operate in the UK through partner channels. Last year, Kaspersky was banned from selling its products in the US after being accused of having links to the Russian Government – which it denies. www.kaspersky.com Nearly 90% of UK industrial firms hit by cyberattacks in past year Sprint Electric has appointed Alan Baird as head of sales for its AC drives business. He was previously manager of Danfoss Drives in the UK and Ireland for almost seven years. Baird will lead global sales of Generis, Sprint’s recently launched regenerative AC drive. He will focus on expanding Sprint’s AC drives presence in the OEM market. Baird will work with Sprint director, Gary Keen, and business development manager, Neill Drennan, who lead sales for Sprint Electric’s DC business. Make UK, the manufacturers’ organisation has announced that Lord (Richard) Harrington will become its new chair, succeeding Lord (John) Hutton who has chaired the organisation since 2022. After a career in business, Harrington was MP for Watford from 2010–2019 and held several ministerial positions. He was an advisor to David Cameron on apprenticeships and chaired the Apprentice Delivery Board. Renishaw has announced the death of its co-founder and nonexecutive director, Sir David McMurtry. Sir David founded Renishaw in 1973 with John Deer, a fellow Rolls-Royce engineer, to commercialise a 3D touch-trigger probe for coordinate measuring machines – a technology he had invented to solve measurement problems in the production of engines for Concorde. With Sir David at the helm, Renishaw revolutionised the development of coordinate measuring machines, shopfloor metrology and process control. He was named on more than 200 Renishaw patents. The British Pump Manufacturers Association (BPMA) has announced Lee Tebbatt, managing director of Wilo UK, as its new president, following a two years as vice-president. He succeeds Dale Croker, managing director of KSB UK. Andrew Simpson, managing director at Apex Pumps, succeeds Tebbatt as BPMA vice-president. Almost 90% of UK industrial organisations have experienced cyberattacks in the past year EVENTS Southern Manufacturing & Electronics 2025 4–6 February, 2025 Farnborough, UK The annual regional event returns to Farnborough, aiming to attract people involved in design, engineering production and procurement. They will be able to see the latest in production hardware, components, consumables and other technologies. The organisers are expecting more than 500 exhibitors and 9,000 visitors. https://www.southern-manufacturingelectronics.com Hannover Messe 2025 Hannover, Germany 31 March – 4 April, 2025 The main exhibition areas for the 2025 industrial megashow will be Smart Manufacturing, Digital Ecosystems, Energy for Industry, Compressed Air & Vacuum Technology, Engineered Parts & Solutions, Future Hub and International Trade & Investment. Drive and fluid power technologies will be highlighted in the Motion & Drives areas. The conference programme will include around 1,600 speakers. The partner country for 2025 is Canada. www.hannovermesse.de/en Smart Manufacturing Week 4–5 June, 2025 NEC, Birmingham More than 450 exhibitors and 13,500 visitors are expected at the two-day event that includes the Drives & Controls show, Smart Factory Expo, Maintec, the Air-Tech exhibition, Fluid Power & Systems and the Design+Engineering Expo. Running concurrently are the Manufacturing Digitalisation Summit, the Industrial Data and AI Summit, and the Automation & Robotics Accelerator Symposium. www.smartmanufacturingweek.com 2025 OT Cybersecurity Summit 17-19 June, 2025 Brussels, Belgium This event, organised by ISA, will focus on strategic OT (operational technology) cybersecurity based on the ISA/IEC 63443 standards. It will include various technical tracks, training courses as well as a cyberescape room. https://otcs.isa.org
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