So, you’ve got sensors, smart tools, maybe a camera or two on the floor. That’s great. But ask yourself this:
Are they secure enough that you’d bet a contract on them?
Because you probably are.
Here are 6 rules we live by when helping clients lock down their IoT setups.
1. Default Credentials Are a Gift to Hackers
Change every password on every device. Don’t assume your integrator did it.
2. Keep IoT Devices Off Your Production Network
Use VLANs or separate SSIDs. If your tablet talks to your CNC, make sure it’s doing so through a controlled firewall.
3. Update Firmware—On a Schedule
No more “set it and forget it.” If you don’t know the firmware version on your floor devices, you’re flying blind.
4. Inventory Everything
Know what’s connected, where it is, and who installed it. You can’t protect what you can’t see.
5. Monitor Behavior
Set up alerts. If your air compressor’s pressure sensor suddenly starts pinging servers in Moscow, you want to know before Monday morning.
6. Train Your People
Your maintenance lead shouldn’t be installing apps from a sketchy vendor site “because it worked at his last job.”
Bonus: Get a Partner Who’s Been There
We’ve done this for aerospace suppliers, food processors, machine shops—you name it. We don’t just patch things up. We architect them to withstand bad days.
Book a 30-minute secure IoT workshop—we’ll show you where the blind spots are
Hank “Hammer” Dalton
Manufacturing Storyteller | IT Translator | Defender of the Duct Tape Tired