Aircraft manufacturing is no longer just about precision engineering and supply chain mastery. Today, the sector faces a rising wave of cyberattacks that target the very backbone of aviation security and production resilience. In fact, the aviation sector—including airlines, airports, and manufacturers—saw a 600% increase in cyberattacks in 2024, with ransomware groups driving much of this surge (Thales Group).
For aircraft manufacturers, the stakes couldn’t be higher. A successful ransomware attack doesn’t just mean financial loss. It risks grounding fleets, stalling delivery schedules, and undermining customer trust at a time when supply chain reliability is already under pressure.
The Cost of Ransomware in Aircraft Manufacturing
While there is no single “average cost” for ransomware in this specific niche, the closest reliable proxy comes from the industrial sector, where the average breach cost was $5.56M in 2024 (IBM). Given the complexity of global supply chains, compliance requirements, and the safety-critical nature of aerospace production, the true figure for aircraft manufacturing could be even higher when indirect costs are considered.
And the likelihood of being hit is not hypothetical. With dozens of ransomware groups actively targeting aviation suppliers and OEMs, the probability of a ransomware attack sits at around 67%. That means manufacturers are more likely than not to face at least one major incident in the coming years.
Putting Numbers on the Risk
To make this more tangible, let’s apply a Return on Security Investment (ROSI) calculation:
- Probability of ransomware (P): 67% (Thales, 2024)
- Average cost per incident (L): $5.56M (IBM, 2024)
- Annualised Loss Expectancy (ALE): P × L = 0.67 × $5.56M = $3.73M
- Risk reduction with CCM (60%): 60% of $3.73M = $2.24M avoided annually
- Average cost of CCM platform: $100,000 per year
- ROSI: (($2.24M – $100K) ÷ $100K) × 100 = 2,135%
In simple terms: for every $1 invested in Continuous Controls Monitoring, aircraft manufacturers avoid around $22 in losses.
Why Continuous Controls Monitoring Is Different
Most manufacturers still rely on manual assessments, periodic audits, and siloed security tools. The problem is, that approach only captures a snapshot in time. Cyber attackers don’t wait for your next audit cycle—they exploit gaps the moment they appear.
Continuous Controls Monitoring (CCM) transforms this by:
- Proactively detecting control failures before they spiral into full-scale incidents.
- Monitoring IT and OT systems in real time, including legacy production systems not originally designed with cybersecurity in mind.
- Reducing audit preparation from weeks to hours, saving cost and freeing staff to focus on higher-value tasks.
- Validating third-party and supply chain security controls, which is critical when one weak supplier can jeopardise an entire programme.
The Business Outcomes of CCM in Aircraft Manufacturing
CCM isn’t just about improving cybersecurity posture. For aircraft manufacturers, it translates into measurable business outcomes:
- Operational resilience: Production lines stay up, delivery schedules aren’t derailed, and costly downtime is avoided.
- Customer confidence: Airlines, defence buyers, and regulators all expect manufacturers to prove robust cyber resilience. CCM delivers the evidence in real time.
- Regulatory readiness: Whether it’s NIST, ISO 27001, or aerospace-specific standards, CCM ensures compliance is always on, not just a once-a-year scramble.
- Cost efficiency: With automated monitoring, the headcount required for manual checks drops dramatically, turning cyber risk management into a scalable, repeatable process.
Why Cyber Maturity Doesn’t Matter
A common misconception is that CCM is only for organisations with highly mature cybersecurity programmes. The reality? CCM provides the most value to organisations with limited maturity, because it automates what would otherwise take entire teams of specialists to achieve.
Even if an aircraft manufacturer is early in its cybersecurity journey, CCM closes the gap quickly—delivering visibility, assurance, and measurable ROI without the need to overhaul existing systems.
Final Word
The aircraft manufacturing industry has always innovated at the cutting edge of engineering. But in cybersecurity, many firms are still relying on outdated, reactive approaches. Meanwhile, attackers are moving faster, targeting supply chains, and weaponising ransomware against critical production lines.
The data is clear: ransomware costs in aircraft manufacturing average in the millions, and the probability of attack is dangerously high. But with Continuous Controls Monitoring, manufacturers can shift from firefighting to foresight—achieving resilience, compliance, and a proven ROI.
In today’s environment, doing nothing isn’t just risky—it’s unsustainable.
➡️ Want to see the full ROI models across industries, including aerospace? Read our ebook at the start to review the numbers.
Take a look at our CCM platform here.
