Manufacturing Has Changed. Has Security Kept Up?

From rising loading dock theft to connected infrastructure and evolving safety requirements, manufacturers face a new set of security challenges. Here’s what industry leaders need to know. 

Manufacturing looks very different than it did a decade ago. Production lines are more connected, facilities are increasingly automated, and operations span multiple buildings, warehouses, and geographic locations. 

Yet many manufacturers still rely on security infrastructure designed for a less connected world. 

Cameras operate independently from access control. Legacy systems require ongoing maintenance. Security teams spend hours searching for footage, while operations leaders lack visibility into what’s happening across their facilities. 

The problem isn’t necessarily a lack of security technology. It’s that the technology hasn’t kept pace with the environments it’s supposed to protect. 

Our new 2026 Manufacturing Security Report examines the emerging risks facing manufacturers, the growing intersection of physical and cybersecurity, and the opportunities to turn security infrastructure into a source of operational intelligence. 

Manufacturing Is Facing a More Complex Threat Landscape 

Manufacturers have always had to protect valuable equipment, raw materials, finished goods, and intellectual property. But as facilities become more connected, the risks extend well beyond the physical perimeter. 

According to IBM X-Force research highlighted in our report, manufacturing remained the most cyberattacked industry for the fifth consecutive year in 2025, accounting for 27.7% of the incidents IBM X-Force responded to. 

Meanwhile, ransomware attacks against industrial organizations increased 64%, underscoring the vulnerabilities that can emerge as operational technology (OT), IT infrastructure, and physical security systems become increasingly interconnected. 

Physical threats are also becoming more costly. 

Cargo theft losses climbed 60% in 2025, reaching approximately $725 million, according to Verisk CargoNet. Metals theft increased 77%, while food and beverage theft rose 47%. 

For manufacturers, these trends represent more than isolated security incidents. They can disrupt production schedules, increase operational costs, compromise sensitive information, and introduce new risks across the supply chain. 

And with many facilities operating around the clock, security teams need to maintain visibility without being physically present everywhere at once. 

The Growing Connection Between Security, Safety, and Compliance 

Security is no longer solely about preventing unauthorized entry or investigating incidents after they occur. 

Manufacturers must also consider worker safety, environmental conditions, workplace violence prevention, and increasingly complex compliance requirements. 

In California, for example, SB 553 introduced workplace violence prevention requirements, including written prevention plans, incident logs, and employee training for covered employers. 

At the same time, frameworks from CISA and NIST emphasize the importance of managing connected devices, controlling access, and maintaining visibility across industrial environments. 

These responsibilities often fall across multiple departments, including security, IT, environmental health and safety (EHS), and operations. 

When each department relies on disconnected systems, coordinating a response or gathering the information needed for an investigation becomes unnecessarily difficult. 

A more unified approach helps organizations establish shared visibility, improve incident documentation and investigations, and make information accessible to the teams responsible for protecting people and maintaining operations. 

Why Modern Manufacturing Needs More Than Traditional Surveillance 

For decades, the primary purpose of video surveillance was to record what happened. 

Today, manufacturers need systems that help them understand what’s happening and respond more effectively. 

Consider a busy manufacturing facility with multiple production lines, restricted storage areas, loading docks, and distribution operations. 

A security incident might involve a missing shipment, unauthorized access, a workplace safety concern, or an unexpected interruption in production. 

With disconnected systems, understanding what happened could require reviewing hours of footage, comparing separate access logs, and coordinating information across departments. 

With unified, cloud-managed physical security, video, access control, sensors, and alarms can work together to provide a more complete picture. 

The operational impact can be significant. 

At Metalsa, Rhombus helped reduce incident resolution time by 90%, saving approximately 80 labor hours each week. 

At Middleby Outdoor, investigation times dropped from two days to just 10 minutes. 

These examples illustrate an important shift: physical security technology can do more than protect a facility. It can help teams recover valuable time, resolve issues faster, and operate more efficiently. 

From Physical Security to Operational Intelligence 

One of the biggest opportunities for manufacturers is using information already available through their physical security infrastructure. 

Cameras, sensors, and access control record activity throughout a facility every day. Traditionally, much of that information has only been used when something goes wrong. 

But what if that same infrastructure could help answer everyday operational questions? 

How many products moved through a production area today? Are loading docks operating efficiently? Are certain spaces consistently underutilized? Could an unusual event trigger a notification before it becomes a larger issue? 

These are the kinds of questions that become possible when physical security data is transformed into actionable intelligence. 

With solutions like Rhombus Studio, manufacturers can turn information from cameras, sensors, and access control into custom dashboards, automated workflows, and applications designed around their specific operations. 

Instead of introducing another disconnected system, organizations can build on their existing security infrastructure to gain new visibility into productivity, facility utilization, and operational performance. 

It’s a shift from simply monitoring environments to understanding and improving them. 

Building a Stronger Foundation for What’s Next 

Manufacturers don’t need to replace every system overnight to modernize their security strategy. 

The most effective approach begins with understanding where existing infrastructure creates the greatest risks and operational limitations. 

That might mean evaluating aging DVRs and NVRs, strengthening perimeter protection, connecting access events with video, or improving how incidents are documented and investigated. 

From there, manufacturers can build toward a more connected security environment that supports their broader operational goals. 

The key is recognizing that physical security is no longer an isolated function. It’s part of the infrastructure that keeps modern manufacturing running. 

As facilities become more automated, distributed, and data-driven, the systems protecting them need to evolve as well. 

Download the 2026 Manufacturing Security Report 

Manufacturing security is changing, and understanding the risks is the first step toward building a more resilient operation. 

Our 2026 Manufacturing Security Report takes a closer look at the challenges and opportunities shaping the industry, including: 

• The evolving threat landscape: Emerging cybersecurity risks, cargo theft trends, and vulnerabilities affecting connected manufacturing environments. 
• Worker safety and compliance: How changing expectations and industry frameworks are influencing manufacturing security strategies. 
• Real-world manufacturing results: How organizations are reducing investigation times, improving visibility, and strengthening facility protection. 
• Eight practical recommendations: Actionable steps manufacturers can take to modernize security and support more efficient operations. 
• The future of operational intelligence: How unified physical security and AI-powered tools can help manufacturers get more value from their existing infrastructure. 

Smarter manufacturing starts with smarter security. 

Download the 2026 Manufacturing Security Report