Manufacturing IT That Understands Your Production Floor
Manufacturing has been the #1 most targeted industry for cyberattacks four years running. Central Illinois manufacturers face those same threats with tighter budgets and fewer dedicated security resources. General-purpose IT providers are not built for this. You need a partner who understands production networks, operational technology, and what happens when the line goes down.
Talk to a Manufacturing IT SpecialistWhy Manufacturing IT Is Not Standard Business IT
In most businesses, when the network goes down, people can't check email for a few hours. In a manufacturing facility, the production line stops. Orders don't ship. Raw materials sit idle. A network outage can damage equipment, spoil product, or create safety hazards.
Operational technology (OT) — programmable logic controllers, SCADA systems, human-machine interfaces — was originally designed to operate in isolation. Modern manufacturing connects OT to IT networks for data collection and supply chain integration. That connectivity creates the security gap attackers are targeting.
Your IT partner needs to know which systems can be patched on a Tuesday afternoon and which ones require a maintenance window during a scheduled shutdown. They need to know that rebooting a server connected to a PLC could halt a production line.
The Biggest Cybersecurity Risks for Manufacturers Right Now
Three overlapping risk categories are hitting manufacturers harder than any other industry.
Ransomware
According to Resilience, ransomware accounted for 90% of all financial losses in manufacturing between March 2021 and February 2026.
62% of victims paid the ransomIT/OT Convergence
96% of OT incidents in 2025 were traced back to IT system compromises. An attacker in your front office can reach your production floor.
96% start in IT systemsSupply Chain Attacks
Supply chain compromises nearly doubled in 2025, rising from 154 to 297 incidents in manufacturing.
Nearly 2x increase in 2025For Central Illinois manufacturers, these risks are compounded by legacy systems, older PLCs, and aging network infrastructure that cannot be easily replaced without impacting production.
What Should a Manufacturing IT Provider Be Able to Do?
Not every IT company understands manufacturing. Here's what separates a provider who can support your environment from one who is guessing.
Understand the IT/OT Boundary
Explain how your office network connects to production, where segmentation points are, and what happens if a threat crosses over.
Protect Without Disrupting Production
Schedule patches and system changes around production. Never push updates during operating hours without coordination.
Support Compliance
CMMC, PCI DSS, FDA, FSMA. Know which frameworks apply and help maintain compliance before an audit fails.
Provide Layered Security
Endpoint detection, managed firewall, email security, MFA, dark web monitoring, 24/7 SOC.
Plan and Budget Proactively
Firewall replacements, server lifecycles, 12-month budgets. Lead through quarterly reviews, don't wait for failure.
Instant Recovery Backups
Hybrid on-site and cloud backup architecture. When a server fails, spin up a working copy immediately.
How We Support Manufacturers Across Central Illinois
Facet Technologies has served manufacturers across Central Illinois for over 30 years. Our team has specific experience with production environments, IT/OT networks, and compliance requirements including CMMC, PCI DSS, and cyber insurance readiness.
Manufacturing doesn't stop at 5 PM. Our in-house helpdesk in Peoria answers calls live during business hours, with on-call technician access 24/7/365. Average response time: under 15 minutes.
We assess your network, OT exposure, and compliance requirements before recommending anything. From there, we build a security and support strategy specific to your operation.
Read the case study: Manufacturer IT Stabilization →
One Central Illinois manufacturer saw a 70% reduction in support tickets within the first six months of working with Facet.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Facet Technologies specialize in manufacturing IT?
Manufacturing is one of our strongest verticals. We serve manufacturers across Central Illinois, including facilities with OT environments, multi-site operations, and compliance requirements for CMMC, PCI DSS, and cyber insurance.
Can Facet support OT environments and production networks?
Yes. We understand the difference between IT systems and OT systems, and we design security and support strategies that account for both. Network segmentation, controlled maintenance windows, and layered monitoring protect production without disrupting operations.
What compliance frameworks does Facet help manufacturers with?
We support CMMC compliance for defense contractors, PCI DSS for payment card data, and cyber insurance readiness. We also work with third-party auditing partners for independent validation.
How does Facet handle patches in a manufacturing environment?
We schedule maintenance around your production calendar. Updates affecting production-connected systems are planned during scheduled downtime, never pushed during operating hours without coordination.
What size manufacturers does Facet work with?
10 to 500 employees, from single-facility operations to multi-site companies with OT environments. The best fit is typically 40 to 250 employees with production networks, compliance needs, and one to five locations.
What does manufacturing IT support cost?
Managed services and cybersecurity are priced per workstation on a flat monthly rate. The rate depends on the cybersecurity products, cloud services, and compliance protections your business needs. We assess before we quote.
How do I get started?
Schedule a conversation below, fill out the contact form, or call us at (309) 689-3900. We'll start with a straightforward conversation about your operation and what the right IT partnership looks like.
Let's Talk About Your Manufacturing IT
If your current IT provider doesn't understand the difference between your office network and your production floor, that's a conversation worth having.
Schedule a Conversation
Pick a time that works. No-obligation, about 30 minutes.
Prefer to Send a Message?
Tell us about your manufacturing operation. We'll follow up within one business day.