Managed IT Services for Manufacturers
IT for manufacturers where downtime stops the line: office and shop-floor computers managed and patched, production networks kept apart from email and the internet, backups you can restore, and CMMC readiness for defense suppliers.
Overview
Two networks, one business.
A manufacturer's IT lives in two places. The office runs the ERP, estimating, email and accounting. The floor runs machine-control PCs, CAD/CAM workstations, label printers and the computers bolted to equipment, many of them on older versions of Windows that the equipment vendor will not let anyone update. Most IT providers look after the first and leave the second alone, which is where the risk tends to sit.
Ransomware that reaches the floor stops production, so the most important control is separation. Production equipment belongs on its own network segment, with only the connections it actually needs, and outside vendors should reach their machines through controlled, logged remote access rather than a permanent connection nobody remembers granting. Machines that cannot be patched are protected by isolation instead.
Manufacturers that supply the Department of Defense and handle Controlled Unclassified Information also face CMMC, which is built on the security requirements in NIST SP 800-171. We implement and run those controls, and keep the documentation an assessment needs, as part of the same managed service.
Capabilities
What's included
- Office and shop-floor devicesWorkstations, CAD/CAM machines and floor PCs inventoried, monitored and patched as far as each equipment vendor allows.
- Network segmentation and firewallProduction equipment on its own segment, with firewall rules limiting what can reach it and what it can reach.
- Controlled vendor remote accessEquipment vendors connect through access that is approved, time-limited and logged, not left open.
- Backup and recoveryERP, file servers and CAD data backed up daily, with restores tested so production data comes back on a known timeline.
- Ransomware detection and responseEndpoint detection on every supported machine, with a response plan for an incident that spreads toward the floor.
- CMMC readinessNIST SP 800-171 controls implemented and documented, with the system security plan and evidence an assessor will ask for.
How We Work
Our approach
- 01
Assess
Every office and floor device inventoried, including the machines nobody has touched in years and the ones that cannot be patched.
- 02
Separate
Production networks segmented, firewall rules tightened and vendor remote access brought under control.
- 03
Run
Monitoring, patching, backups and help desk every day, scheduled around production rather than through it.
- 04
Review
A regular review of risks, equipment changes, contract requirements and the plan for aging machines.
What You Get
Commitments
Per managed device, month to month, with no multi-year contract.
Backups of ERP and production data restored on a schedule, not assumed.
Your systems, licenses and data stay in the company's name.
To Get Started
What we need from you
- Counts of office computers, floor computers and servers, including machine-control PCs
- The ERP, CAD/CAM and accounting software you run
- Whether you hold defense contracts that involve Controlled Unclassified Information
Common Questions
Questions we get asked
Can you manage machines that the equipment vendor says must not be updated?
Yes. Many machine-control and HMI computers run software certified only on a specific operating system version, so patching them can void support or break the equipment. We document those machines, patch only what the vendor approves, and protect the rest by isolating them on the network and limiting which systems and people can reach them.
Do you help defense suppliers with CMMC?
Yes. If you handle Controlled Unclassified Information under a defense contract, CMMC applies and is built on NIST SP 800-171. We implement and run the controls, write and maintain the system security plan and plan of action, and gather the evidence. The assessment itself is performed by an authorized third party; no IT provider can certify you.
How do you keep ransomware off the shop floor?
By making it hard to get there and easy to recover if it does. Production networks are segmented from the office and the internet, endpoint detection runs on every machine that supports it, remote access is controlled, and backups of production data are tested. A compromised office laptop should not be able to reach a machine on the floor.
Do you support ERP and CAD software?
We support the servers, workstations, network, backups and sign-ins those applications depend on, and we work with the software vendor when a problem is inside the application itself. CAD workstations get attention to graphics drivers and licensing, and ERP servers are monitored and backed up so the system that runs scheduling and inventory stays available.
Tell us how
your plant runs.
Tell us how many people and devices you have and what rules you answer to. We respond within one business day with a scope and a monthly price.