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Revamping Remote Access Governance in Manufacturing to Combat Ransomware Threats

In recent years, there has been a dramatic uptick in ransomware attacks targeting manufacturers and industrial suppliers. Secomea, a leader in secure remote access solutions, has issued a call for companies to reconsider how they manage third-party remote access within operational technology (OT) environments. With the pressure mounting on security teams to maintain operational continuity while ensuring cybersecurity, a balanced approach is essential.

The Challenge of Balancing Access and Security

Ransomware attacks are increasingly taking advantage of vulnerabilities in factory VPNs, resulting in significant disruptions and financial losses. Knud Kegel, the Chief Technology and Product Officer at Secomea, highlights that while many organizations are focused on preventing attackers from breaching their systems, not enough attention is paid to the level of access granted once an attacker is inside. In the manufacturing landscape, remote access is crucial for maintenance, troubleshooting, and operational support. Therefore, the challenge lies in ensuring that this access is controlled, time-bound, and fully visible.

Manufacturers often depend on machine builders, system integrators, and service providers for remote support of critical equipment. However, the common practices of granting permanent access, sharing credentials, and lacking monitoring create fertile ground for attackers who manage to infiltrate the network.

Recent incidents have illustrated a shared dilemma: the struggle to find the right balance between operational access and security oversight. According to Secomea, businesses should focus on redefining their access governance in three significant areas:

1. Reducing Permanent Access: Access should be granted to vendors only when necessary and revoked immediately after the task is completed. By limiting access durations, companies can minimize the risks of credential misuse, abuse, and unauthorized activities.
2. Enhancing Visibility and Accountability: Organizations must maintain detailed records of who accessed their systems, when, and what actions were performed. Comprehensive audit logs are invaluable for investigating incidents, ensuring regulatory compliance, and enhancing cybersecurity reporting.
3. Preparing for Containment: Upon detection of suspicious activity, security teams should have practical methods to isolate affected assets quickly and prevent disruptions from spreading throughout production environments.

Effective Governance in Operational Technology

A robust governance framework for remote access in OT environments merges principles of least privilege access with timely vendor access, coupled with an audit capability and rapid containment strategies. As manufacturers face increasing regulatory scrutiny, need for bolstered cybersecurity insurance, and constant pressure to maintain operational availability, these measures are becoming paramount.

Practical Steps for Cyber-Resilience

As companies reassess their strategies for cyber-resilience, Secomea encourages evaluating whether they have implemented the following controls and processes:

• - Just-in-time vendor access instead of persistent remote connections.
• - Approval-based workflows for accessing critical systems.
• - Minimum privilege permissions for users and vendors.
• - Audit logs to support investigations, compliance, and forensic analysis.
• - The capability to swiftly isolate affected assets during an incident.

Kegel asserts that the conversation is shifting from simply enabling remote access to managing it effectively. Manufacturers do not require less connectivity; rather, they need improved management of that connectivity. Organizations that can limit, monitor, and control access are generally better positioned to minimize operational impacts when incidents do occur.

Conclusion: The Future of Ransomware Resilience in Manufacturing

The resilience of the manufacturing sector against ransomware threats will increasingly depend on how organizations govern remote access to OT systems. Just-in-time access for vendors, visibility into remote session activities, and the ability to contain affected assets are rapidly becoming critical cybersecurity controls.

As businesses forge ahead in a landscape fraught with cyber threats, the prioritization of remote access governance is essential for preserving both security and operational continuity in manufacturing.

About Secomea

Secomea specializes in secure remote access solutions designed specifically for industrial networks and operational technology environments. With over 8,000 manufacturers and machine builders across the globe utilizing Secomea, the company plays a pivotal role in ensuring secure connections between people, systems, and machines, fostering operational continuity and control. Recently, Secomea was recognized as a representative vendor in the secure remote access CPS category within the 2026 Gartner® Hype Cycle™ for CPS Security.