Security

How Behavioral Analytics Can Help Tackle Rising Cyberthreats in Manufacturing

Learn why behavioral analytics is crucial in cybersecurity, aiding in early threat detection and response agility, and how CDW managed security services can help.

BizTech Staff

Cyberthreats are evolving rapidly, making traditional security measures for manufacturers increasingly inadequate.

According to The Wall Street Journal, “ransomware attacks against manufacturers, utilities, and other industrial companies were up 50% last year.” This trend continued throughout 2024, with IBM’s X-Force Threat Intelligence Index 2024 reporting that manufacturing remains the most targeted industry for ransomware, accounting for 28% of global incidents. The consequences can be crippling if critical information is not recovered or operations are disrupted.

IndustryWeek notes that one reason cybercriminals continue to target manufacturing is that “manufacturers often pay when attacked because even small incursions can have huge repercussions.”

As cybercriminals grow more sophisticated — often leveraging artificial intelligence-driven attacks — IT teams need smarter, adaptive tools. Behavioral analytics has emerged as a pivotal technology, offering companies a powerful way to detect and thwart cyberthreats early.

Establishing baselines for normal behavior across networks allows organizations to identify anomalies that may indicate a breach, insider threat or credential compromise. While attack vectors evolve, anomalous behavior consistently signals potential security incidents.

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Why Is Behavioral Analytics Important in Cybersecurity?

For several years, organizations have evolved through multiple different work models — from working in a physical facility to working from home and other remote settings or a combination of the two. Even within manufacturing, some roles have shifted to remote or hybrid setups. These changes have expanded organizational perimeters, creating new vulnerabilities. Traditional perimeter-focused tools are less effective in dispersed environments. Behavioral analytics allows continuous monitoring of user activity regardless of location, helping identify potentially malicious actions that deviate from established norms.

In addition to hybrid work, the rapid adoption of cloud and Software as a Service platforms has decentralized data storage and processing. Behavioral analytics provides cross-environment visibility, identifying unauthorized access or data exfiltration attempts in real time.

DISCOVER: How CDW Managed Security Services can help strengthen your defenses.

Early Threat Detection Can Minimize the Effects of a Breach

Insider threats remain one of the most difficult challenges in cybersecurity. Verizon’s 2025 Data Breach Investigations Report found that 18% of breaches involved internal actors. Behavioral analytics identifies subtle deviations in user activity — such as unusual file access or abnormal logins — that may indicate malicious intent or compromised credentials.

Behavioral analytics enhances agility in threat detection and response. By automating the recognition of anomalous behaviors, organizations can reduce workloads on security teams and mitigate true threats more effectively.

Behavioral analytics doesn’t operate in isolation; it complements endpoint protection, SIEM and encryption solutions. Adding a behavior-based layer enhances an organization’s overall security posture, enabling early detection of unknown threats and reducing reliance on static, signature-based defenses.

As cyberthreats grow in complexity and stealth, behavioral analytics will be a cornerstone of next-generation cybersecurity. By distinguishing between normal and abnormal behavior, organizations can detect threats earlier, respond faster and adapt defenses against the evolving tactics of attackers.

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