Rockwell study flags cybersecurity as industrial growth risk

Rockwell Automation has published a global study on the cybersecurity risks facing industrial organisations. More than one-third of respondents identified cybersecurity risk as a leading external obstacle to growth.

The report is based on responses from 1,560 decision-makers in manufacturing and industrial operations across 17 countries. It examines how companies are managing cybersecurity as they connect information technology and operational technology systems, expand their use of operational data and increase interest in artificial intelligence tools.

Among the headline findings, 46% of organisations said they had experienced a cyber incident in the past year. Even so, 90% said they were confident in their ability to prevent, contain or recover from one.

That gap between incident exposure and organisational confidence sits at the centre of the report. Investment in cybersecurity does not necessarily translate into broader operational resilience, particularly as connected systems create new dependencies across production environments.

Investment trends

The survey found that 62% of organisations have already invested in cybersecurity platforms. Respondents ranked cybersecurity as the second-highest return on investment among the technology spending areas covered by the study.

Industrial groups are also looking to AI in security operations, with 45% planning to apply AI and machine learning to cybersecurity initiatives over the next 12 months.

The report links that shift to a broader change in industrial operations, as manufacturers increase connectivity between systems once managed more separately. As operational data, users, software and third-party connections become more interdependent, the impact of a single incident can spread more widely across an organisation.

IT and OT

Integration between IT and OT systems emerged as a key pressure point. The study found that IT and OT integration points rank as the second-most vulnerable areas for cyber incidents.

At the same time, respondents saw commercial value in securing those architectures. Some 37% said securing IT and OT architecture would drive positive business outcomes over the next five years.

The findings suggest manufacturers are viewing cybersecurity not only as a defensive measure, but also as part of wider operational planning. In industrial settings, cyber incidents can affect uptime, production continuity, quality and safety, as well as data protection.

Rockwell's research covered a broad range of sectors, including Consumer Packaged Goods, Food & Beverage, Automotive, Semiconductor, Energy and Life Sciences. Respondents ranged from management roles to C-suite executives, and company revenues spanned from USD $100 million to more than USD $30 billion.

A central theme of the study is that operational resilience depends on more than technology spending alone. The report defines operational resilience as the ability to sustain safe, secure and reliable industrial operations by managing risk, limiting disruption and recovering quickly from incidents.

The issue has become more pressing as industrial companies push further into digital operations. Greater use of connected assets and centralised data can improve oversight and efficiency, but it can also widen the attack surface and create new routes for disruption if systems are not properly secured.

One finding points to the tension between ambition and risk. While many organisations are expanding digital tools and planning AI-related security projects, a substantial share still see cybersecurity as a brake on growth rather than simply a compliance or technical issue.

Rick Kaun, Global Director, Cybersecurity Services at Rockwell Automation, outlined that position in comments accompanying the study.

“Industrial organisations understand that cybersecurity directly affects uptime, continuity, productivity and growth, but technology investments alone do not create operational resilience or confidence in an organisation's security posture,” said Rick Kaun, Global Director, Cybersecurity Services at Rockwell Automation.

“True resilience is built when cybersecurity becomes an integral part of business strategy. Organisations that proactively manage risk and prepare for disruption are better positioned to protect operations, sustain production and gain a competitive advantage,” Kaun said.