When we think of industries that are the top focus for cybersecurity and targets for cybercriminals, we tend to think of big banks, finance, insurance and government. Surprisingly, according to IBM’s 2025 X-Force Threat Intelligence report, manufacturing is actually the #1 target for cyberattacks—and has held that top spot for four years running.

At Circuit Check’s Smart Test Strategies event, I shared a sobering look at the state of cybersecurity in manufacturing and how organizations can close the gap between vulnerable operational technology (OT) and well-protected IT infrastructure.

The Top Threat: Ransomware via Valid Logins

It’s not just nation-states or genius hackers breaking through high-tech firewalls with advanced tools. The #1 method of attack? Valid credentials. Bad actors are getting access through legitimate user accounts, often harvested through phishing, reused passwords, or internal oversharing. Once inside a protective firewall, they move laterally across internally trusted systems—an “East-West” attack—to do maximum damage.

Manufacturing is particularly attractive to attackers because downtime is expensive. Take the Garmin ransomware incident: two weeks offline and an estimated but unconfirmed $10 million paid to recover data. Or Toyota, which reportedly lost over $300 million from 14 sites being offline for just 36 hours—not due to a cyberattack, but a corrupted backup.

IT vs. OT: A Security Mismatch

IT systems are generally secure by design—regular updates, backups, and real-time monitoring are standard. But OT systems—like test stations, PLCs, and SCADA systems—are often outdated, unpatched, and isolated.

Why? Because many run on legacy operating systems like Windows XP or 7. Without support for security patches, these systems pose a risk when connected, and upgrades to a modern operating system are expensive or unavailable. As a result, OT environments are often “air-gapped,” meaning they’re kept offline entirely. But that isolation comes at a cost: missed analytics, manual updates, and vulnerability to physical access or sneakernet-style USB hacks.

The Case for Secure Connectivity

To bridge the OT-IT gap without compromising security, Circuit Check is introducing Test Partner, a secure gateway and remote access platform built on Isolated Networks' Stargate technology.

Test Partner offers:

• A real-time dashboard showing status, uptime, and test data across multiple global sites.
• Secure remote access to any test system—from anywhere.
• Live backups and disaster recovery, both locally and in the cloud.
• Data delivery to analytics platforms like WATS, even from legacy test equipment.
• Access to IoT sensors and other devices on your manufacturing floor.

With this solution, manufacturers can securely connect even the oldest systems—without exposing them to the internet or depending on untrusted networks at contract manufacturers (CMs).

Preventing the Next Breach

I often highlight common weak points in manufacturing security, including:

• Shared or reused passwords (sometimes even attached with post-it notes)
• Outdated remote access tools like TeamViewer with weak configurations
• IoT devices or sensors with known vulnerabilities and open ports
• Lack of visibility across distributed global sites

The goal isn’t just better protection—it’s faster recovery. If a test system goes down, a company shouldn’t spend $30,000 flying a technician around the world with a flash drive. With Circuit Check’s Test Partner, updates and backups can happen remotely and securely.

The Bigger Picture: IT and Business Alignment

In my experience, the biggest barrier to progress is often internal. IT departments are measured by risk reduction—not by production efficiency. As I often put it, “IT doesn’t get dinged when your new product takes an extra month to ship. That’s the product team’s problem.”

So the burden is on engineering and business units to demonstrate the ROI of securely connected test systems. That includes better yield visibility, faster failure analysis, reduced rework, and improved time to market.

Cyber threats aren’t going away—but hiding test systems behind air gaps isn’t sustainable. Modern manufacturing needs to balance accessibility and analytics with airtight security.

Solutions like Test Partner and Stargate aren’t just about protecting data—they’re about unlocking the full potential of smart testing strategies without putting your factory at risk.

Key Takeaways

• Manufacturing has been the #1 target for cyberattacks for four years in a row.
• The leading method of attack is stolen or misused valid credentials—not advanced hacking.
• OT systems are often outdated, isolated, and highly vulnerable compared to IT infrastructure.
• Air-gapping reduces risk but limits analytics, efficiency, and recovery speed.
• Secure connectivity through solutions like Test Partner and Stargate enables safe, remote access, faster recovery, and smarter use of test data.
• The business case is clear: secure test systems improve yield visibility, time to market, and ROI while reducing costly downtime.

About Joel Avrunin

Joel Avrunin is the Chief Commercial Officer at Circuit Check, where he leads global commercial strategy and drives product innovation to redefine how the electronics industry approaches functional test. With over 25 years in technology leadership, Joel has consistently delivered transformative solutions that bridge complex engineering challenges with real-world manufacturing needs. At Picarro, he built and scaled an environmental monitoring platform for medical device manufacturing, and at Tektronix, he led go-to-market efforts across aerospace, automotive, and cloud sectors.

Known for turning vision into execution, Joel brings sharp insights into test system architecture, data integration, and remote diagnostics. His sessions are packed with real-world use cases, strategic clarity, and actionable ideas—making them a must-attend for anyone looking to modernize their test strategy.