How Serious Are You About Cybersecurity? 

 

A wake-up call for India’s Manufacturing SMEs 

Last year, a boiler-manufacturing company in Pune’s MIDC area became the victim of a “CEO-fraud” scheme. A WhatsApp message, seemingly from the firm’s director, instructed the company accountant to urgently transfer ₹1.95 crore for a business deal. The transfer was made without proper verification. Hours later, it emerged the message was fake, and the funds were gone. The Times of India 

Now ask yourself: Could that happen to your manufacturing business? 

India’s manufacturing sector is one of our strongest growth engines — contributing significantly to employment, exports, and GDP.  SMEs form the backbone of this ecosystem… yet, when it comes to cybersecurity, many are still unprepared. 

Here’s the hard truth:
Most cyberattacks in India directly target SMEs and Attackers know the SMEs are less protected, more vulnerable 

What is really happening? 

SME owners are increasingly falling prey to: 

• Phishing emails/Calls/WhatsApp messages — appearing like vendors, customers, or banks 

• Fake alerts — “Income Tax payment pending”, “GST late fees due” are very common subject line 

• Spoofed foreign buyers — promising export deals, stealing advances 

• Payment redirection scams — by manipulating shared invoices or other means or bank details 

These aren’t rare incidents anymore; these are real daily business risks. 

Manufacturing SMEs are easy targets

• Heavy dependence on emails & shared documents 

• Lack of trained cybersecurity personnel or consultant 

• Increasing IT–OT integration (ERP + Machines) 

• Suppliers handling sensitive customer IP 

• “Security can wait” mindset, let’s grow the business, then focus on Security. 

Cybercrime doesn’t just steal money, but it steals reputation, trusted relationships, and future business. 

Importance of ISO 27001 for Manufacturing 

As manufacturing becomes more digital, security standards must rise too. 

ISO 27001 helps SMEs

• Protect digital assets: designs, BOMs, pricing, SCADA, ERP data 

• Prevent IP leakage & industrial espionage 

• Build customer trust — especially export/OEM clients 

• Ensure compliance in supply-chain security requirements 

• Reduce downtime from cyber incidents 

• Improve process maturity and accountability 

Many global customers now prefer or mandate ISO 27001 compliance from their supplier ecosystem. 

What can SMEs do or start today? 

Here are simple, affordable actions: 

• Enable 2-step verification on business email accounts 

• Train teams on how to identify phishing 

• Validate payment changes by phone, never by email 

• Ensure endpoint protection on every PC/laptop 

• Perform regular backups of designs, BOMs, and production data 

• Restrict access to customer IP & designs 

• Create a basic Incident Response Plan 

• Adopt ISO 27001 best practices — even before certification 

• Work only with licensed software and verified partners 

You don’t need a big cybersecurity budget —
You need Smart Priorities and Smart Technology Partner 

Read more about the Cybersecurity here