Topic starter
24/06/2026 10:59 pm
TL;DR: Common infrastructure links people, systems, machines, and data in digital factory operations, and Imprivata cites IDC figures showing 57% of manufacturers faced a ransomware attack in the past year, with 61% of incidents causing multi-day disruption. Shared access across IT, OT, and the factory floor makes uptime depend on tighter permissions and less credential sharing.
Editorial analysis by NHI Mgmt Group, based on content published by Imprivata: “Top five benefits of common infrastructure for digital factory solutions in modern manufacturing”.
By the numbers:
- 57% of manufacturers experienced a ransomware attack in the past 12 months, according to IDC figures cited by Imprivata.
- 61% of manufacturing security incidents result in business disruptions lasting several days, according to IDC figures cited by Imprivata.
Key questions
Q: Why do connected manufacturing environments increase security and uptime risk?
A: Because IT, OT, and floor access become interdependent.
Q: What breaks when manufacturers rely on shared badges and shared credentials?
A: Accountability breaks first, followed by control over who can access what during a shift or maintenance window.
Q: How should manufacturers govern access in a digital factory?
A: Manufacturers should govern digital factory access as a shared identity problem across people, systems, machines, and facilities.
Practitioner guidance
- Separate floor access from shared credentials Replace badge sharing and generic shop-floor logins with individual, attributable access that follows the worker across shifts and systems.
- Align authentication to manufacturing work patterns Use multifactor and passwordless access where the same user must move between warehouse, production, and administrative systems.
- Apply least privilege to IT/OT integration Scope permissions tightly for users and systems that bridge enterprise applications and operational technology so shared infrastructure does not become shared exposure.
Bottom line: Common infrastructure can improve manufacturing productivity, but it also turns identity and access governance into a core part of operational resilience.
Glossary terms: Common Infrastructure, Digital Factory, IT-OT Connectivity, Attributable Access
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This topic was modified 1 day ago by NHI Mgmt Group
25/06/2026 7:50 am
Common infrastructure turns access governance into an operational control, not a back-office discipline. In a digital factory, access decisions affect production continuity, floor safety, and incident recovery at the same time. That means identity governance is no longer a supporting function for manufacturing modernization. It is part of the control surface that determines whether shared infrastructure improves resilience or amplifies disruption.
A question worth separating out:
Q: How do IAM and OT security differ in a digital factory?
A: IAM governs who can reach systems and data, while OT security must also protect availability, safety, and the industrial process itself. In a digital factory, the two disciplines intersect, so access governance has to respect operational constraints rather than apply office-style controls unchanged.
👉 Read our full editorial: Common infrastructure and digital factory security in manufacturing