Cybersecurity Awareness 2025 – Week 3: Defend What Matters with Logging, Monitoring, Backups, and Encryption
Cyberthreats do not just target IT systems, they aim for the heart of your operations: production lines, customer data, intellectual property, and employee trust. As we enter Week 3 of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, it is time to spotlight four foundational defenses that every organization, especially those in manufacturing and distribution, should prioritize: logging, monitoring, backups, and encryption.
These are not just best practices. They are your digital firewalls, forensic tools, and business continuity lifelines.
Logging & Monitoring: Your Early Warning System
Cyberattacks rarely begin with a bang. They start with subtle anomalies, unauthorized login, a spike in CPU usage, a script running at 2 a.m. That is where logging and monitoring come in.
Why it matters:
- Real-time visibility into production systems helps detect threats before they escalate.
- Centralized logs from ERP, SCADA, and network devices create a forensic trail for incident response.
- Anomaly detection tools can flag unusual behavior, like a user accessing sensitive files they have never touched before.
Pro tip: Pair Prophet 21 or Epicor Kinetic logs with a SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) platform to correlate events across your IT and OT environments. This unified view is critical for detecting lateral movement and insider threats.
Backups: Your Last Line of Defense
Ransomware does not just encrypt files, it halts production, delays shipments, and erodes customer trust. That is why regular, assessed backups are non-negotiable.
Best practices:
- Follow the 3-2-1 rule: 3 copies of your data, on 2 different media, with 1 offsite or cloud based.
- Automate backups for ERP, file servers, and databases—and test restores regularly.
- Use immutable backups to prevent tampering by ransomware.
OT/SCADA spotlight: Many manufacturers overlook backups for operational technology. But PLC configurations, HMI screens, and SCADA databases are just as critical. Use tools like Acronis or Veritas to back up:
- Historian data
- Control logic
- Device firmware and configurations
A single corrupted PLC can halt an entire line—do not let it be your blind spot.
Encryption: Lock It Down Before They Break In
Encryption is not just for compliance—it is a strategic shield for your most valuable assets.
What to encrypt:
- Intellectual property: CAD files, BOMs, and design specs
- Employee data: HR records, payroll, and PII
- Customer data: Orders, payment info, and contact details
How to do it:
- Use AES-256 encryption for data at rest and TLS 1.2+ for data in transit.
- Enable BitLocker or similar tools on laptops and mobile devices.
- Leverage ERP-native encryption for sensitive fields in Prophet 21 or Kinetic.
Bonus tip: Do not forget removable media. USB drives and portable backups should be encrypted and access controlled.
Final Thought: Cybersecurity Is a Culture, not a Checkbox
These four defenses, logging, monitoring, backups, and encryption, form the backbone of a resilient cybersecurity posture. But they are only effective when paired with a culture of vigilance, regular training, and executive buy-in.
This Cybersecurity Awareness Month, take the time to audit your defenses. Are your logs centralized? Are your backups tested? Is your sensitive data encrypted? If not, now is the time to act.
At 2W Tech, cybersecurity is not just a service, it is a strategic imperative. As a leading technology provider for manufacturing and distribution, we help organizations strengthen their defenses with proactive logging and monitoring solutions, robust backup strategies (including OT/SCADA environments), and enterprise-grade encryption protocols. Our team of certified experts works across IT and OT landscapes to ensure your data, designs, and operations are protected from evolving threats. Whether you are navigating compliance, implementing Zero Trust architecture, or preparing for a cybersecurity audit, 2W Tech delivers the tools, insights, and support to keep your business resilient and secure.
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