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Written by: Mindy Hayes, Content Specialist, PTC
Whether a budding enterprise or an established industry tycoon, discrete manufacturers must prioritize cybersecurity. A single security vulnerability may impact dozens—or hundreds—of applications, and the threat to your operations evolves every day. Your PLM system, from engineering to manufacturing and service, represents a treasure trove of intellectual property for attackers. All of which underscores why fortifying your digital defenses should be at the top of your IT department’s list of responsibilities.
There are many security challenges posed by PLM solutions today: collaborating with suppliers without exposing your organization’s network; deploying PLM across your entire enterprise; updating solutions and processes while navigating legacy customizations; and developing smarter, complex products that are especially susceptible to security breaches.
The cost, expertise and activities required to maintain industry-standard security (let alone world-class) varies considerably depending on your PLM approach. It’s important to understand and weigh these factors when evaluating your next PLM deployment. Despite the impact it may have on your operations, you’re not in the security business—but your PLM provider ought to be.
Traditional PLM Solutions
Many manufacturers employ an on-premise PLM system, and some have configured their own cloud solution (DIY cloud). As such, they accept most, if not all the risk and responsibility. This means they must rely on their own expertise to remain vigilant against and respond quickly to security threats. Such manufacturers also depend on costly response teams for threat prevention in order to maintain best-in-class security.
On-prem and DIY cloud PLM users are also on the hook for patching and updating their own solutions, so vulnerabilities are often left unresolved until IT can get around to it—assuming they have the expertise to handle it themselves. Not to mention the time spent on installing patches, or the extended exposure they experience as they wait on manual patches. This kind of work requires technicians to have deep domain knowledge of your systems, with a strong understanding of all configurations and compatibilities.
PLM as a Service
Manufacturers are finding more and more success with SaaS (software-as-a-service) offerings. Security is one of many driving forces behind this trend and is sure to factor into the value of emerging SaaS PLM. Windchill+ from PTC, is an example of a SaaS PLM offering that can accelerate enterprise product development while increasing security and reducing vulnerabilities.
SaaS PLM gives users the benefits of full-stack security while the provider absorbs the costs by handling both application and infrastructure. The SaaS PLM provider serves as a single point of responsibility, so you don’t waste time tracking down bugs or balancing risk against budget. Services may also offer highly tuned vulnerability detection to both actively identify weaknesses and conduct third-party penetration testing.
Another benefit of a service model is always having the latest security updates. This is because SaaS PLM providers automatically apply security enhancements across your system. When choosing a provider, look for layers of security, from security protocols and certified data centers to regular system audits and third-party resources.
There are many measures you can take to secure your operations, but ultimately it comes down to how much risk is acceptable. DIY cloud and on-premise PLM users accept considerable risk, but as a software service provider, the risk tolerance of SaaS PLM providers is minimized. Being responsible for the PLM security of all their customers generates economies of scale, which enables SaaS PLM providers to invest in security technology, processes and skilled experts more than most companies could. The result is a next-generation SaaS PLM solution that not only gives your teams the capabilities and performance they need to keep pace in a rapidly changing industry—it also provides the assurance that your systems and intellectual property are safeguarded with a best-in-class level of security.
Enhance Security with PLM
Explore what manufacturers need to think about as they consider if, when and how to adopt SaaS PLM. Or learn more about how Windchill+ can elevate your PLM system.
This article was originally published January 9, 2023 on the PTC blog.