Despite increasing cyberattacks, companies in the production and manufacturing sector do not have comprehensive protection against phishing and spoofing attacks. A survey shows that only 19 percent of manufacturing companies have implemented strict email authentication policies.
A recent global study by email security provider EasyDMARC shows that while 61 percent of manufacturing companies have implemented the DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) email authentication protocol, only 19 percent have a strict authentication policy in place that provides comprehensive protection against phishing and spoofing attacks.
Little phishing and spoofing protection
The study examined the 4.796 largest manufacturing companies worldwide and shows that 43 percent of manufacturers that have implemented DMARC use a low-security DMARC policy, which allows suspicious emails to reach the inbox. Almost a third (31 percent) of companies have a higher security level, where suspicious emails are quarantined in the junk folder so users can decide if the emails are actually untrustworthy. The most secure option is used by only 31 percent of companies. With this policy, emails that fail authentication checks are immediately rejected to protect companies from potential harm.
No DMARC – less security
DMARC is critical for automatically detecting and preventing email spoofing, a tactic commonly used in phishing attacks. Properly implementing DMARC can dramatically reduce the risk of phishing by ensuring that emails that fail authentication checks do not make it into the inbox, eliminating the risk of email users clicking on malicious links. Although the DMARC protocol has been available for over a decade, the EasyDMARC study shows that the vast majority of companies in the manufacturing sector have not yet fully exploited its protection capabilities.
Change in the manufacturing sector
The manufacturing sector has undergone rapid transformation in recent years, moving from siloed programs to interconnected software systems, resulting in greater connectivity and data transparency. While this increased interconnectedness is good for productivity, it also increases security vulnerabilities. For example, the World Economic Forum has identified manufacturing as the industry most frequently targeted by cyberattacks for three consecutive years. Despite these increasing cyber threats, EasyDMARC has found that the sector has a low level of cyber maturity, highlighting the need for greater awareness of the importance of properly implementing strong email protection.
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About EasyDMARC
EasyDMARC is an email security and deliverability platform provider that streamlines email authentication and helps minimize cyberattack risks. With advanced tools like AI-powered DMARC Report Analyzer, DMARC (Domain Base Message Authentication, Reporting and Conformance), SPF (Sender Policy Framework), DKIM (Domain Keys Identified Mail) cloud management solutions and email source reputation monitoring, EasyDMARC's SaaS platform helps customers stay secure and maintain the health of their domains without risk.