WAF for the Manufacturing Industry: 7 Critical Capabilities

Unlike banking or finance, the manufacturing sector isn’t usually targeted for personal or financial data. Instead, it holds valuable information like designs, trade secrets, and supply chain details — making it a top target for attackers.

In the last year, manufacturing saw a sharp rise in application-layer threats (State of Application Security 2025 Report):

• 37 million attacks per website
• DDoS attacks surged 6X from Q1 to Q4
• Bot attacks rose by 26%
• Targeted to disrupt their internal functions such as supply chain management, spares, QA and production functions

Today’s attackers don’t just steal — they aim to cause disruption. Some want to copy designs or gain business advantages, while others try to break operations and damage productivity.

Top WAF Features Every Manufacturing Company Needs

1. Protection Against Vulnerabilities in Legacy Systems

Manufacturing ERPs, dashboards, and supply chain apps often run on outdated systems that aren’t regularly patched, making them prime targets for CVE exploitation and lateral movement into OT layers. It’s no surprise that 80% of manufacturing firms experienced a notable increase in security incidents or breaches in the past year, yet only 45% are adequately prepared to defend against them. This growing exposure highlights the urgent need to secure legacy applications that are still central to production, logistics, and vendor collaboration.

A modern WAF must include:

• Continuous vulnerability scanning and CVE monitoring
• Expert-led testing for ERP and industrial app vulnerabilities
• Protection from zero-day vulnerabilities
• Virtual patching to block exploits without backend code changes

2. Securing API Endpoints Connected to IoT and OT Systems

APIs used to integrate ERP systems, supply chain platforms, vendor portals, IoT sensors, and SCADA systems are increasingly exploited to tamper with automation logic, disrupt workflows, or exfiltrate sensitive operational data — without requiring direct access to the devices or core infrastructure.

A modern WAF must include:

• API discovery with parameters to track exposed endpoints
• IP-based access control to restrict unauthorized access to critical APIs.
• AI-powered rate limiting to prevent abuse and mitigate potential attacks early on.
• Token validation to ensure that only authenticated requests are processed.
• Anomaly detection to identify and respond to unusual API behavior.

3. DDoS Resilience for Operational Continuity

DDoS attacks are increasingly used to disrupt production workflows and supplier coordination portals. With unplanned outages costing manufacturers an average of $260,000 per hour, operational continuity is not just a concern — it is a business imperative.

A modern WAF must include:

• AI-powered behavioral DDoS detection and mitigation
• Scalable, intelligent infrastructure to absorb surges without impacting performance.
• 100% uptime guarantee with unmetered protection from volumetric and application-layer DDoS attacks.
• 24/7 managed security team monitoring for proactive threat detection and response, included at no extra cost. (as manufacturing companies often deploy a security team in limited numbers)

4. Advanced Bot Protection Across Web Portals

Bots are increasingly deployed to exploit RFQ forms, scrape proprietary product data, and overload critical portals like inventory or order management systems. According to the 2024 Verizon DBIR, credential stuffing attacks have surged by 34%, underscoring the growing risk of bot-driven attacks that aim to automate fraud or unauthorized access to sensitive manufacturing data.

A modern WAF must include:

• Detects & blocks bots using behavioral analysis — not just IP or user-agent checks.
• Prevents bots from automating RFQ submissions, inventory lookups, login attempts and more.
• Prevents scraping of proprietary product data, design documents, and part catalogs.
• Applies real-time challenges like tarpitting, CAPTCHA, and JS checks to stop bots mimicking legitimate users.

5. Safeguards Against Business Logic Abuse

Manufacturing configurators, BOM tools, and pricing engines are exploited to trigger unauthorized access, manipulate workflows, or cause errors that disrupt operations.

A modern WAF must include:

• Built-in automated scanner combined with expert-led penetration testing to detect business logic flaws
• Custom rule creation by the WAF vendor, even for complex workflows or applications
• Real-time alerting for workflow abuse or unauthorized inputs

6. Protection Against Website Defacements and Malware Infections

For manufacturing companies with a strong online presence, defacement and malware attacks can severely impact a company’s credibility and trust. These attacks are often intended to damage brand image, spread false information, or redirect users to malicious content.

A modern WAF must include:

• Blocking of malicious file uploads to protect network from malware infiltration and abuse
• Automated website scanning to detect unauthorized content changes or malware injections
• Parameterized defacement detection across DOM structures, JavaScript, media assets, and internal links
• Protection from blacklisting by browsers and search engines through early malware identification

7. Full Visibility and Forensics for Faster Response

Manufacturers need full visibility into application traffic to detect IP theft, reconnaissance, and other suspicious activities, while ensuring audit readiness and compliance with standards like ISO 27001, GDPR, FDA, and NIST 800-53.

A modern WAF must include:

• Centralized, real-time logs of all the apps and API traffic
• Audit-ready dashboards showing zero-vulnerability posture
• Deep-dive analytics to investigate threats/exploits blocked via various WAF policies and virtual patches
• SSO, SIEM, and API integrations for extracting the data into the internal systems for analysis and attack patterns

How AppTrana WAAP Addresses These Needs

AppTrana, Indusface’s fully managed Web Application and API Protection (WAAP) platform, is purpose-built for manufacturing businesses navigating complex digital environments, having operational risks, and limited in-house security resources. It combines intelligent automation with human expertise to provide tailored, always-on protection.

• Blocks exploits in legacy and production applications with continuous scanning and autonomous vulnerability remediation.
• Scans Websites for malware and identifies defacements
• Secures APIs with discovery, anomaly detection and protection with a positive security model.
• Detects and stops bots targeting RFQs, logins, inventory tools, and other areas consisting of sensitive data.
• Delivers unmetered DDoS protection with 100% availability SLAs and zero impact on uptime.
• Protects against business logic flaws in configurators, BOM tools, and pricing systems with expert-created rules.
• Provides audit-ready visibility with centralized logs and dashboards aligned to regulatory standards.
• Offers 24/7 managed security, including custom rule updates and proactive threat response — all without additional cost.

Case Study: Enhancing Marico’s Security Posture with Unmetered DDoS Protection, Risk-Based Monitoring and Autonomous Patching

• Marico was facing a loss of over $120,000 in case of 80% cyber incidents
• The company’s brand value was at stake because of repeated defacement attacks
• Indusface worked with Marico as a security partner and successfully protected hundreds of applications on AppTrana WAAPwith risk-based scoring & autonomous patching
• Over 3 million cyber-attacks blocked per quarter
• Zero cases of targeted attacks registered in the past 3 years

Listen to this fireside chat with Mayuresh Purandare, Head – (Sales IT Transformation & Cyber Security):

As Manufacturing Evolves, So Do the Threats and the Security Demands

As manufacturing goes digital, cyber risks are growing faster than ever. Legacy systems, exposed APIs, and increasing attack volumes demand more than basic security measures.

AppTrana WAAP is built to address these challenges — offering always-on protection, expert-driven remediation, and complete visibility. With it, manufacturers can secure operations, prevent downtime, and focus on driving innovation without compromise.

Stay tuned for more relevant and interesting security articles. Follow Indusface on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.