Using the IoT to Boost Operations Efficiency and Security

In early October 2025, employees at the Jaguar Land Rover plant in Wolverhampton, UK, returned to work after nearly a month-long absence. A large-scale cyberattack put the brakes on the carmaker’s global operations, including at key production sites in the West Midlands. The financial fallout from the attack is still being estimated, though sufficient damage has been determined to warrant a £1.5 billion government loan guarantee.

Any disruption to a global manufacturing brand like Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) will have considerable knock-on effects down the supply chain – the Financial Times estimates the attack placed the jobs of 200,000 people at risk, with a single supplier, Evtec, facing £13 million in losses.

They’re not alone. The rate of cyberattacks has accelerated in recent years, with brands as disparate as Asahi, Qantas, and Kuehne + Nagel among the high-profile victims. Last month, the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre announced that 2025 had seen a marked increase in the number of cyberattacks deemed “nationally significant”.

Countering such threats is now an industry in itself.

The strike on Japan’s Asahi Brewery forced the beer giant to revert to purely offline operations for days in a drastic emergency response measure. Even when a total shutdown is avoided, these reductions in efficiency incur major losses. In 2024, the Norwegian metals manufacturer Norsk Hydro reverted to pen-and-paper operations when hackers hit its network – this allowed business to continue, albeit with a 50% reduction in output.

The causes, motivations, and inroads for these incidents are multifaceted, and correlations are hard to draw.

The reason for their acceleration, though, is clear: the number of wireless devices worldwide has surged over the last decade, as wireless connections become integral elements of modern manufacturing. With every new wireless device, though, comes a possible ingress for hackers – this “attack surface”, or the number of targetable devices, is growing at a near-exponential rate.

IoT-powered supply chains

The Internet of Things offers potential solutions – by deploying a network of automated sensors and gaining unparalleled real-time insights into every step of their processes, companies can predict errors and detect irregularities as soon as they occur, raising alarms and mitigating damage in the event of a breach.

Software-based solutions like eSIM-powered IoT devices allow IT administrators to remotely distribute security updates and patches, while private 5G networks and continually-updated encryption and SIM authorization processes provide new ways to combat cybercrime.

What's IoT all about?

The Internet of Things refers to the global network of devices that communicate wirelessly. These can be high-fidelity mobile standards like LPWAN, 5G, or LTE-M, capable of transmitting vast volumes of data at lightning speeds, or low-power channels like eDRX or PSM for simpler tasks.

While the public perception of the IoT centers around consumer products like smart building devices or connected cars, the vast majority of IoT connections are found in commercial, agricultural and industrial contexts, including manufacturing and supply chain management.

The IoT has been transformational in building efficiency across these sectors. The ability to deploy a network of sensors, cameras, and AI-powered data processors at every step of the cycle has revolutionized global trade.

Today, the Internet of Things is integral to manufacturing and logistics, allowing operators to simplify and automate everything from inventory to shipment tracking, temperature control, remote monitoring, and automated assembly. This principle has allowed the IoT to proliferate in the contemporary manufacturing industry.

As a relatively new discipline, IoT supply chain security is, however, not without its challenges.

The IoT, predictive maintenance, and cybersecurity

A more recent usage of industrial IoT is the discipline of predictive maintenance, or detecting issues before they occur. Through a network of IoT sensors deployed throughout a facility, immense volumes of data are collected on every step of the process. These readings are then analyzed by AI tools to determine optimal conditions, identify factors that deviate from this, and make recommendations for improving the system as a whole.

This IoT functionality is behind one of the most impactful recent innovations in manufacturing: digital twins. In its most basic form, a digital twin is a virtual model of a real-life industrial machine or process, providing an experimental platform for trialing, simulating, and optimizing processes. Digital twins can mirror a single component of a machine or an entire supply chain.

Industrial IoT (IIoT) sensors on the model’s physical counterpart continually provide the twin with real-time updates. One function of digital twins is identifying potential weak spots in a component or system by simulating countless manufacturing cycles and preventing failures before they happen.

Increasingly, these same efficiencies are being harnessed to bolster security, detect anomalies, and intercept potential threats like cyberattacks.

Using the IoT to improve supply chain resilience

IoT sensors track inventory, shipments, and assets in real time. By monitoring device status and network activity, companies can detect anomalies early and act to mitigate damage.

As the recent spate of attacks has shown, however, no system is immune. Even established global powerhouses with state-of-the-art protection and extensive cybersecurity departments can be breached.

A viable contingency plan in case of attack is now an essential part of contemporary cybersecurity. Rapid threat response, damage limitation, minimizing downtime, and swift rebuilding are essential to protecting jobs, revenue, and brand reputation.

Depending on the severity of the breach, this can range from early-warning IoT systems to reverting to pen and paper (as shown by Norway's Norsk). Integrated IoT platforms allow for immediate alerts and automated actions if a cyber threat or operational disruption is detected, minimizing downtime and financial loss. API-based management portals, like 1GLOBAL IoT, can even integrate with existing device management platforms to automate processes and create alerts.

Safeguarding Industrial IoT with 5G and device intelligence

The dawn of 5G networks has facilitated the transfer of larger volumes of data at greater speeds over localized wireless networks. For commercial operations, this enables the deployment of more IoT sensors to generate new levels of data collection and insights.

While 5G networks lack the coverage radius of 4G or LPWAN, their constrained sizes make them suited to localized usage, such as providing wireless connectivity in a single plant, port, or factory. These private 5G networks, also known as enterprise 5G, enable companies to leverage the data transfer abilities of 5G without the risks of a public mobile network. Often, they feature enhanced cyber-protection measures far above the public standard, with enhanced encryption and SIM authentication. Despite this, private 5G networks can be prone to downtime – if the network is compromised, all connected devices lose function.

A unified core network like 1GLOBAL provides secure network connections for IoT devices in 190+ countries. Crucially, 1GLOBAL provides access to a minimum of three mobile networks per country. In the event of a network outage, connected devices will automatically switch to the next available network, mitigating the risk of downtime.

A second method for protecting wireless networks is device intelligence. This is a fundamental cybersecurity principle that allows network operators to single out and protect individual wireless devices from outside interference like DoS and ransomware attacks.

IoT devices are a necessary tool for competitive manufacturing industries – developments like private 5G and device intelligence allow companies to harness the benefits of the IoT while safeguarding their assets from potential cyberattacks.

Quis custodIoT?

The same traits that allow them to improve the security of supply chains also mean that IoT devices themselves carry an inherent risk of compromise.

In Jaguar Land Rover’s case, the attack came during an already damaging quarter, with the carmaker reeling from US tariffs. State intervention was required to prevent a total collapse – other companies may not be so lucky.

Implementing a viable response plan and constantly seeking out new technologies is vital to remaining protected in an era of wireless data communications.

For companies operating in the Internet of Things (IoT) space, this need is even more acute. There are two key reasons why large-scale IoT organizations are viable targets for cyberattacks:

• Every wireless connection is another potential access point for hackers. The larger the scale of the IoT operation, the wider the target.

• IoT devices are typically less sophisticated than consumer electronics – this extends to their cybersecurity measures. Basic devices such as temperature sensors often lack consumer-grade protections like firewalls, making them attractive targets for hackers.

Understanding these risks is key to avoiding them. Any organization that employs an IoT ecosystem must invest in security protocols and continually update them to remain viable and trusted. Essential to this is maintaining a secure wireless connection between devices and having a fallback connectivity source in case of unwanted access, damage, or simply signal failure in the primary wireless network.

An eSIM-based solution like 1GLOBAL IoT offers continual, centralized oversight of all devices and enables instant distribution of security updates.

More IoT devices don’t necessarily mean a less secure system: the same functionality that makes IoT-powered industrial processes so efficient can also be used to monitor, predict, and counter potential threats.

The future of wireless data

The global demand for wireless data is surging, driven by private, commercial, and public operations. The IoT is here to stay – for the manufacturing industry, it’s now an inextricable element of production and logistics.

When managed correctly, IoT device fleets can enable faster operations whilst remaining resilient against outside threats. Services like 1GLOBAL IoT solutions provide the tools industries require to reap the full advantages of an IoT-powered supply chain, including a centralized overview of all connections to detect early indications of wrongdoing, automated alerts, and simplified fleet overviews to enable rapid security responses and minimize the risk of downtime.

eSIM control of IoT fleets

An IoT system is only as safe as its latest update. Retaining control over wireless devices necessitates constant maintenance. In SIM-card-based IoT fleets, the effort required to switch SIMs negates the time-saving benefits that wireless devices provide in the first place.

The rise of eSIM-connected IoT devices has changed this. Rather than manually replacing physical SIM cards for thousands of devices at a time, administrators can instantly dispense updates and patches to all devices globally at the touch of a button. As IoT eSIM pioneers, 1GLOBAL provides secure networks and centralized device management platforms to facilitate this.

1GLOBAL IoT solutions

As technological advancements create an increasingly interconnected global supply chain, security needn’t hinder efficiency: the capabilities of IoT devices show how improved overview of device fleets, enhanced data analysis, and stringent encryption of wireless networks can allow businesses to embrace IoT advancements in their operations while maintaining industry-leading security protocols.

The manufacturing industry is becoming more interconnected, and businesses need to incorporate scalable, secure IoT solutions into their industrial processes while remaining vigilant to outside interference. Doing so requires a partner with deep industry expertise and a track record of delivering digital, reliable, future-proof, and secure wireless connections.

Since 2018, 1GLOBAL has provided digital-first IoT solutions that help industrial clients prepare for the wireless future. Our IoT solutions enable the development of flexible commercial models that can evolve as device connectivity evolves.

Speak to our team to learn how 1GLOBAL’s IoT connectivity solutions can prepare your company for the wireless future.