UK manufacturing recorded 1.84 million ransomware events in the first five months of 2026. For local manufacturers, the message is clear: cyber security is now just as crucial a part of keeping the factory running as maintenance and staffing levels.
A ransomware attack is no longer just an IT problem.
For a manufacturing business in particular, it can mean halted production, missed deliveries, unavailable systems, disrupted suppliers and difficult conversations with customers. Even a relatively short outage can create pressure across the whole operation.
New figures from SonicWall, reported by IT Brief UK, show that UK manufacturing was the most targeted sector for ransomware during the first five months of 2026 according to their data.
The research recorded:
The figures came from just 364 sensors, so they should not be read as a count of every attack against every manufacturer in the UK. But they do show the level of attention being directed at industrial businesses.
For many of our customers, and manufacturers across Sheffield, South Yorkshire and the wider region, it is a timely warning.
Manufacturing businesses are attractive targets because disruption can be expensive and immediate.
A factory may depend on a mixture of:
That mixture is often necessary. It is also difficult to secure consistently.
The latest figures suggest that attackers are not simply scanning every business at random. A significant proportion of the ransomware activity was concentrated on a small number of specialist sensors, suggesting that higher-value facilities may be receiving more focused attention.
The problem for manufacturers is that technology cannot always be updated as quickly as it can in an office environment. A patch that is routine in a standard IT system may need more planning when it touches production, plant equipment or a system that cannot easily be taken offline.
As SonicWall’s research highlights, attackers are looking at both older infrastructure and newer digital services.
That means manufacturers cannot afford to focus on just one part of the environment.
Ransomware is often discussed as a data protection issue. For manufacturers, the consequences can be wider.
A successful attack could affect:
If the systems needed to run the operation are unavailable, the business may be unable to produce, ship or invoice as normal.
For a local manufacturer supplying larger organisations, the impact may travel further. A delay at one site can create problems for customers, transport providers and other businesses further along the supply chain.
The right response is not to buy another security product and hope for the best.
Manufacturers need to understand what they rely on, what would happen if it disappeared and how quickly they could recover.
Start with the basics.
Which systems are essential to keep the business operating? Which ones are needed for production, scheduling, stock, customer orders, finance and communication?
This should include older systems and operational technology, not just laptops and cloud applications.
A simple list of critical systems is more useful than a long document nobody maintains.
Many businesses believe they have good backups because backup jobs are running.
That is not enough.
A backup can fail silently, miss important systems or be configured with retention periods that do not match the business risk. We treats backup monitoring and backup verification as separate controls because a successful backup job does not automatically prove that the data can be recovered.
You should be able to answer:
Has a restore actually been tested?
Manufacturing environments may include office devices, engineering workstations, laptops, servers and specialist equipment.
Every device that connects to the wider business environment should be accounted for and protected appropriately.
That means checking:
Endpoint security is not a one-off installation. It needs ongoing monitoring and action when devices fall out of compliance.
Manufacturers do not have unlimited time or a completely risk-free way to update every system.
The answer is to prioritise intelligently.
A vulnerability affecting an internet-facing system, remote access tool or production-related application may deserve attention before a lower-risk issue on an isolated device.
A structured vulnerability management process can help businesses to track:
The important thing is to avoid a situation where serious vulnerabilities are known but remain open indefinitely.
When an attack is underway, people need to know what to do.
You should have clear arrangements for:
The first few hours can make a significant difference. A documented response plan helps reduce hesitation and stops several people making conflicting decisions at the same time.
For SME manufacturers in particular, cyber security can feel like another major responsibility added to an already busy operation.
There may not be a dedicated security team. IT may be shared across several sites. The person responsible for technology may also be responsible for systems, suppliers, budgets and day-to-day support.
That is where a practical external partner can help.
The aim should not be to make the business more complicated. It should be to create a clearer view of risk, make sure critical systems are protected and provide support when something needs attention.
At One2Call, that can include areas such as managed backup, backup verification, endpoint security, vulnerability management, managed detection and response, and incident response coordination. These services are designed to support ongoing operational resilience rather than simply produce a report and leave the business to work out what happens next.
The latest ransomware figures are worrying, but they are also useful because they give manufacturers a reason to review the basics.
The most important question is not “could we be attacked?” The answer to that is yes.
The more useful questions are:
For our local manufacturers in Sheffield and South Yorkshire, resilience should not just be about protecting files. It's also about protecting the ability to keep people working, orders moving and customers supplied.
That is the standard worth working towards.
Manufacturers often rely on a mixture of older operational technology, production systems, cloud services and internet-connected applications. Attackers may see these environments as valuable because a successful disruption can affect production, revenue and supply chains.
SonicWall recorded 1.84 million ransomware events across 364 monitored UK manufacturing sensors between January and May 2026. The figure represents monitored events, not every attack against every UK manufacturer.
The biggest risk is usually operational disruption. A ransomware incident may affect production, stock, orders, logistics, finance, communications and customer commitments — not just stored data.
No. Backups need to be monitored, verified and tested. A successful backup job does not automatically prove that the data can be recovered when the business needs it.
Start by identifying critical systems, checking backup coverage and recoverability, reviewing endpoint protection, prioritising serious vulnerabilities and confirming who would lead the response to an incident.
An IT and security partner can help monitor backups, verify recoverability, protect endpoints, track vulnerabilities, monitor security events and coordinate the response when an incident occurs.
If you’re a manufacturer in Sheffield, South Yorkshire or the surrounding region, One2Call can help you review where your biggest operational risks sit and what practical steps would reduce them.