Industrial cyber security is increasingly becoming a focus for industry in light of geopolitical tensions and growing threats. Manufacturing companies, plant operators, and machine builders are facing a growing number of professionally organized attacks. At the Hannover Messe trade fair, it became clear that security requirements are undergoing fundamental changes and that artificial intelligence is playing a central role in this.
Industrial cyber security under pressure from new attack models
Cybercrime has developed into an industry organized on the basis of division of labor. Cybercrime-as-a-service provides complete attack chains, extortion infrastructures, and automated tools. This makes attacks scalable and accessible even to less experienced actors. The boundaries between criminal groups and state-controlled actors are becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish.
Götz Schartner, founder and CEO of cybersecurity provider “8com”, has been advising industrial companies for many years on setting up and operating security operations centers (SOCs) and managed security services. At the Hannover Messe trade fair, he and his team will recreate a realistic security operations center to demonstrate processes, analysis procedures, and response mechanisms in a practical way.
AI is changing attack and defense strategies
According to Schartner's assessment, AI will become the dominant technology in attack and defense by 2026. Attackers are using AI to largely automate phishing campaigns, social engineering attacks, and vulnerability analyses. Even complex attack scenarios can be prepared and adapted more quickly using learning systems.
At the same time, AI is changing defense strategies with regard to cyber security in the industrial environment. Systems for anomaly detection, attack pattern analysis, and alarm prioritization are gaining in importance. In security operations centers, AI assists with incident triage and incident response. The SOC set up at the Hannover Messe is intended to illustrate how industrial companies can detect and handle security incidents in a structured manner.
Industrial cyber security and zero-trust concepts for OT environments
Another focus of industrial cyber security at Hannover Messe is on secure remote access solutions for industrial environments. Secomea is showcasing a zero-trust-based remote access solution that has been specially designed for operational technology. The aim is to control remote access to machines and production facilities in a controlled and transparent manner. The solution helps companies implement regulatory requirements such as IEC 62443 and NIS2. At the same time, it ensures that existing production processes are not impaired. The focus is on protecting critical systems and ensuring secure collaboration with external service providers.
Organizational responsibility for industrial cyber security
In addition to technical measures, the organizational anchoring of industrial cyber security is becoming increasingly important. At the Hannover Messe trade fair, the DSN Group is focusing on structured information security management systems (ISMS) in accordance with ISO/IEC 27001 and industry-specific standards. In view of the increased number of attacks, complex operating structures, and new regulatory requirements, many industrial companies need support in setting up robust security processes. With the increasing use of generative AI, the requirements for governance, risk management, and clearly defined responsibilities are also growing. Structured management systems help to permanently embed security measures in the company and systematically assess risks. This transforms industrial cyber security from a reactive individual measure into a strategic management task.
“Industrial Security Circus” platform in Hall 26
The central point of contact for industrial cyber security at Hannover Messe is the “Industrial Security Circus” in Hall 26. The platform brings together experts, solution providers, and users to discuss current threat scenarios, regulatory developments, and practical protection concepts. The “5G & Industrial Wireless Arena” is located in the immediate vicinity. There, the focus is on key wireless technologies such as 5G, 6G, and NB-IoT. These technologies are becoming increasingly important for networked production environments and, at the same time, are increasing the requirements for industrial cyber security.
Developments at the Hannover Messe show that cyber security has become a fundamental requirement for industrial companies. Industrial cyber security will increasingly determine how stable, compliant, and resilient production and infrastructure systems will be in 2026.
