Security | Threat Detection | Cyberattacks | DevSecOps | Compliance

CEOs across the manufacturing sector remain optimistic about the potential of digital transformation to boost productivity, efficiency, and competitiveness. Yes - manufacturers face a double bind - innovate fast (and potentially feel pain) or risk falling behind; but every step forward expands the attack surface. This sits alongside a stark reality: the manufacturing sector now suffers 26% of all cyberattacks, making it one of the most targeted industries globally. However, the most significant emerging threat is not always the one that leaders expect.

Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) is quickly becoming a top priority for business leaders, particularly those with remote teams, cloud-focused plans, and growing security challenges, as they recognize the benefits of bringing networking and security into a single, flexible, cloud-based solution. In fact, the global SASE market is projected to reach $10.89 billion in 2026, up from $9.27 billion in 2025.

For many years, cybersecurity conversations in the oil and gas sector have centered on familiar themes, including the divide between IT and OT, the limitations of legacy tooling, the growing pressure of regulation, and the long-standing question of how to modernize an industry built on infrastructure measured in decades rather than release cycles. But these discussions are changing, becoming more grounded in operational reality as the industry's appetite for convergence between identity, cloud, and OT grows stronger than at any point in recent memory.

In October, the UK put a spotlight on cyber resilience with the release of the NCSC's 2025 Annual Review. CEO Richard Horne warned that failing to prepare for cyberattacks risks a company's future. The urgency behind this statement is backed by data: the NCSC handled 204 major cyber incidents between September 2024 and 2025, and 43% of UK businesses reported a breach in the past year.

In October, the UK put a spotlight on cyber resilience with the release of the NCSC's 2025 Annual Review. CEO Richard Horne warned that failing to prepare for cyberattacks risks a company's future. The urgency behind this statement is backed by data: the NCSC handled 204 major cyber incidents between September 2024 and 2025, and 43% of UK businesses reported a breach in the past year.

New global research from Xalient reveals that SASE investment is vital for enterprise security, but approximately 53% of organizations are still in the early implementation stages. Although 80% of respondents are concerned about cybersecurity threats, breach or fear of breach is the least influential factor in choosing a SASE solution.

Over the past five years, the enterprise technology landscape has undergone a significant shift. Global disruptions, hybrid work models, and an increasingly complex threat environment have driven organizations to invest heavily in digital infrastructure. Some analysts have even dubbed this era "the biggest surge in technology investment in history."

As Forrester expects the cost of cybercrime to reach $12 trillion by the end of 2025, enterprises are gearing up and investing heavily in cybersecurity. Yet, despite rising budgets, security leaders' confidence in detecting and recovering from incidents is declining. A key culprit is security tool sprawl, which quietly erodes visibility, speed, and trust in operations.

Starting January 2026, Provision 29 of the UK Corporate Governance Code will require boards to report annually on the continuous effectiveness of their internal controls, including cybersecurity, or risk a substantial fine. In terms of reporting, Provision 29 marks a shift from "Do we have controls?" to "Can we prove they work?"

The digital enterprise is no longer primarily made up of individuals' identities. According to Gartner, over 60% of all identities in a typical organization are non-human. These Non-Human Identities (NHIs) are digital identities assigned to software, services, applications, containers, or devices that require access to systems and data. Unlike human identities, NHIs operate autonomously, at scale, and often with high privilege. This makes them essential for modern automation and uniquely vulnerable to misuse.