18/08/2026 by Jay Hatton
Some 30% of UK manufacturers have been affected by a cyber-incident over the past year, according to a new report from Make UK.
The survey covered incidents where a manufacturer was affected directly or due to disruption from an attack on a supplier.
The report comes almost a year after a cyberattack affected Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), the largest employer in the UK automotive sector. This brought production to a halt for weeks.
Reliable and efficient production is key to enabling manufacturing companies to compete. Using advanced lubricant solutions like Kluber gear oil helps keep equipment running, but the sector faces a new external threat. Part of the problem is a result of networking different facilities together. While this helps improve productivity by providing high-level operational insights, it also amplifies the potential harm that a cyberattack can inflict.
Make UK is recommending that manufacturers take basic measures to enhance security. They should also establish and test recovery plans in advance of a successful cyberattack and ensure that their suppliers are also prepared. Stephen Phipson CBE, the CEO of Make UK, said the findings reveal:
“…The scale of the challenge facing manufacturers today, but it also shows that businesses are not powerless. Cyber risk cannot be eliminated altogether. What matters is understanding where the vulnerabilities lie, taking sensible steps to reduce them and ensuring that when incidents do happen, they do not become business threatening events.”
The UK government has estimated the economic cost of cybercrime at £14.7 billion a year.
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