Cybersecurity Concerns
Cybersecurity Concerns- Cybercrime is an ever-evolving epidemic. Pharmaceutical companies face threats like phishing emails that pose as mail from reputable companies as well as malware and insider hacking. Some attackers will encrypt files and ask for a ransom to decrypt them, but not all cybersecurity threats are financially motivated—rather, such hackers seek proprietary information like product formulas. Cybersecurity threats can cause major business problems, creating discontent among customers or outright errors in the flow of their products or services in the supply chain.
The proliferation of cyberattacks on major U.S.-based pharmaceutical manufacturers underscores the importance of taking a holistic approach to cybersecurity. In the first quarter of 2017, cyberattacks directed at private healthcare organizations outstripped those against public organizations.1 The theft of intellectual property, as well as disruption of operations stemming from hackers, are of extreme concern to companies throughout the healthcare sector. The more digitized the manufacturing process becomes, the greater the potential for an attack if a manufacturer is not able to assure security measures on their identified assets, define and enforce who can access assets, and equip themselves and reputable third-parties beyond the organization with professional monitoring.
Identifying Valuable Assets and Setting Restrictions
As cyberattacks become stealthier, more sophisticated, and impactful, it is critical for brand owners and manufacturers to implement a layered approach to security and put up as many hurdles as possible for potential intruders. The first step is identifying the company’s most valuable digitized assets. The company should identify and locate their “crown jewels,” and determine what the firm is obligated to protect from a regulatory perspective.2
PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, helps equip members with the knowledge to navigate the global marketplace through the OpX Leadership Network. There is an expanding need to monitor events in the network and in the business and to make sure that there is a buffer between suppliers and companies. This is especially important now that many pharmaceutical companies outsource their packaging operations.
Restricting access to important data to only those who are required to have it is another key action. Cybersecurity starts with people. There is a need for both constant training and reinforcement of that training for everyone working with electronics. While people are a company’s greatest asset, they can also constitute a company’s biggest vulnerability. Any time data interacts with the outside, it becomes a point of concern. Both outsiders and internal groups should have secure systems and understand how to use them.
Companies should also recognize the vulnerability that comes with allowing a PC maintained by a service provider/OEM to connect to their systems. To resist attacks stemming from this practice, Consumer packaged goods (CPGs) companies have begun to mandate that any service engineers can only use PC’s belonging to the customer on the customer’s network.
The post Digital Transformations Carry Cybersecurity Concerns appeared first on Statii News.
source http://news.statii.co.uk/digital-transformations-carry-cybersecurity-concerns/
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