Meeting the needs of a diverse set of customers can present challenges when balancing cybersecurity measures and demand for zero operational downtime. Flex, a global, diversified manufacturer, tackled this challenge by developing and introducing a comprehensive technical programme, encompassing redesign of engineering equipment and policies, processes and procedures for cybersecurity mitigation and threat response. 

Piloted at 25 manufacturing facilities, the new programme addresses critical aspects such as micro-segmentation, asset and threat visibility, and response and recovery protocols to help reduce the risk of downtime caused by cyber-attacks. 

Engineers with expertise in non-cybersecurity domains joined the cybersecurity team, fostering closer collaboration with the operations and design teams. Additionally, Flex’s engagement with OT vendors has helped enhance recovery capabilities, facilitate asset identification and deploy robust threat-monitoring mechanisms.

Through this programme, Flex continues to align cybersecurity awareness and safety with the specific needs of engineering teams, helping to mitigate risks and bolster operational resilience. This collaborative approach enables rapid, swift threat detection and response, reducing manufacturing and design operation interruptions and enhancing engineering asset security.