Nearly 20% of all data breaches in recent years involved a third-party vendor, and they weren’t minor. According to IBM’s Cost of a Data Breach Report, breaches tied to third-party access took an average of 26 days longer to identify and cost more than those that didn’t – $4.46 million per incident compared to the global average of $4.35 million.¹
In manufacturing, where operations rely on a web of suppliers, contractors, and remote service providers, this risk becomes even more pressing. When just one external connection is compromised, the impact can cascade – halting production, leaking sensitive data, or exposing critical OT environments.
Even companies with strong internal defenses can be caught off guard when a partner’s system is the entry point. And too often, these partner connections are treated as convenient exceptions – not as serious vulnerabilities that require the same level of scrutiny as internal users.
When a third-party provider is compromised, the ripple effects hit fast and hard – even if your organization wasn’t the target. Operations pause. Data is exposed. Customers are affected. For manufacturers that depend on partners and remote access to function, the message is clear: third-party access isn’t a side issue. It’s a core vulnerability that must be secured.
A Growing Risk for Digitized Manufacturing
Manufacturing thrives on interconnectivity. Suppliers plug into planning systems. Remote engineers troubleshoot industrial equipment. External teams manage everything from software updates to logistics tracking.
But too often, this access is unmanaged or invisible. Shared VPNs, flat networks, and a lack of real-time oversight make it easy for attackers to slip in through the side door. And once inside, the path to critical systems – whether IT or OT – is rarely segmented.
The result? More opportunity for attackers, more time to go undetected, and more potential damage. As third-party access grows in scale and complexity, so does the cyber risk.
What Manufacturing CISOs Are Now Prioritizing
To reduce exposure and improve operational resilience, more manufacturers are rethinking how third-party access is granted and controlled.
At the core of that shift are four key requirements:
- Know who’s connecting – with verified identity and full context.
- Restrict access by need – only the systems, times, and functions required.
- Monitor sessions in real time – so unusual activity is spotted immediately.
- Revoke access instantly – without manual processes or delays.
For manufacturers dealing with thousands of vendors across global operations, this isn’t a luxury – it’s a necessity.
How Check Point Secures Third-Party Access
At Check Point, we help manufacturers stay in control by securing third-party access at every layer: from the production floor (OT) to the enterprise network (IT) and out to the extended supply chain.
Our unified architecture gives you the visibility and control to manage third-party connections with confidence. You can see exactly who’s connecting, isolate sessions to stop lateral movement, and fine-tune access by role, time, and task. Activity is fully monitored for compliance, and suspicious behavior is blocked automatically.
And because everything is managed from a single console, you don’t have to juggle multiple tools or policies. It’s simpler, stronger security – so your partners can connect without putting production at risk.
Don’t Let Visibility Be the Weak Link
Incidents like those with CDK and GE show how third-party risk can shift from background worry to full-blown crisis in an instant. In manufacturing, just one unsecured connection can bring everything to a halt – and it’s a risk no business can afford to ignore.
In manufacturing, trust is earned through control. And control starts with visibility.
Join the Conversation
Want to learn how industry leaders are closing third-party access gaps – without slowing down production?
Join our upcoming webinar on July 2nd to explore real-world strategies and see how Check Point helps manufacturers secure every connection – end to end.
Register here: AMER, EMEA