In 2025, ransomware remains one of the most pressing cybersecurity threats facing the manufacturing sector. Manufacturing serves as the backbone of supply chains and economies across the globe and represents the largest industry served by RKL. Over the last year, we’ve seen a dramatic increase in both the frequency and sophistication of ransomware attacks launched against this vital industry.
At RKL, our IS Assurance & Cybersecurity advisors have been monitoring the trends, high-profile cases and defensive tactics that manufacturing organizations should consider in this evolving landscape.
Surging Attack Volumes and Expanding Impact
Recent research indicates that global ransomware attacks targeting critical sectors, including manufacturing, have increased by 34% in 2025 compared to the previous year. Between January and September 2025, nearly half (50%) of all ransomware attacks targeted industries deemed essential to national resilience, such as manufacturing, healthcare, energy and transportation.
The manufacturing sector, in particular, experienced a sharp 61% increase in reported incidents, underscoring its status as the top global target for threat actors. North America and Europe were among the most affected regions, with the U.S. alone accounting for roughly 21% of all global incidents.
Professionalization and Diversification of Attack Methods
Ransomware groups are consolidating and professionalizing, with only a handful of groups—such as Qilin, Clop, Akira, Play, and SafePay—responsible for nearly a quarter of all incidents in 2025.
These groups regularly employ double extortion schemes, combining traditional data encryption with data theft to up the ante on victims. The ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) model has expanded the reach and impact for budding cybercriminals.
Attackers leverage common tactics:
- Exploitation of Legacy Systems: Some manufacturing facilities operate with outdated control systems and software (due to software customization over the years), making them susceptible to attacks targeting known vulnerabilities.
- Phishing and Compromised Credentials: Social engineering, malicious emails, and leaked login credentials remain among the leading methods for initial network access, as the human aspect remains a significant vulnerability.
- Remote Administration Tool Abuse: Legitimate remote access solutions are manipulated to maintain persistence and evade detection.
- Cloud Environment Attacks: Poorly configured cloud services and weak access controls are increasingly targeted in multi-extortion campaigns.
Operational and Financial Consequences
The impacts of ransomware on manufacturing organizations are significant. Attacks often force companies to halt production, leading to cascading supply chain disruptions and substantial financial losses.
High-profile cases in 2025, such as global shutdowns at Jaguar Land Rover and production disruptions at Bridgestone, demonstrate the far-reaching consequences of operational downtime. According to recent industry estimates, the average cost of a single ransomware attack (including recovery, lost revenue, regulatory fines, and reputational damage) can climb into millions of dollars.
Mitigation Strategies for 2025
To address these evolving threats, manufacturing leaders who prioritize a top-down, organization-wide commitment to cybersecurity will prove more resilient against these threats. A few mitigation strategies we suggest:
- Evaluating their cybersecurity risk profile by performing IT risk assessments.
- Continuous data and system backups, kept offline to prevent attacker access.
- Timely software updates and vulnerability patching.
- Regular employee awareness and training programs focused on phishing and credential protection threats.
- Implementation of multi-factor authentication (preferably app-based rather than SMS), network segmentation, and privilege limitations.
- Proactive detection tools such as extended detection and response (XDR) platforms, alongside penetration testing and red team exercises to uncover system weaknesses.
- Regular review and testing of incident response plans to ensure rapid containment and recovery following an attack.
With attacks growing in volume, complexity and impact, manufacturing organizations must be vigilant and proactive in bolstering their security posture for 2025 and beyond.
Is your organization taking the right steps in guarding against cyber threats? If your company lacks robust, multi-layered cybersecurity strategies, it may be time for a professional cybersecurity threat assessment or ransomware readiness assessment. RKL’s IS Assurance & Cybersecurity team is here to help. Reach out to us today.
