Case Study: Securing the Supply Chain in Building Materials
How a Global Building Materials Manufacturer Strengthened Its Cyber Defenses, Protected Operations, and Cut Cyber Insurance Premiums by 52%
Industry Example: Building Materials Manufacturing & Distribution
Company Size: ~1,200 employees
Annual Revenue: US $750 million
Estimated Cyber Insurance Premium (Before): US $880,000/year
Estimated Cyber Insurance Premium (After): US $422,000/year
Savings: ~52% reduction through validated cyber controls and continuous monitoring
The Challenge
A leading building materials manufacturer—serving the commercial construction and infrastructure sectors—faced growing cybersecurity challenges as it modernized operations. The company had recently expanded into digital supply chain management, using connected manufacturing equipment (IoT), ERP systems, and vendor portals.
While these advancements improved efficiency, they also expanded the attack surface:
Legacy systems running critical production processes with limited patching visibility
Connected manufacturing equipment (OT/IoT) with minimal monitoring
Vulnerable supplier portals exposing shipment and invoice data
Increased ransomware risk targeting production downtime and logistics
Rising cyber insurance costs as underwriters demanded validated controls and resilience documentation
Leadership recognized that cyber risk was no longer just an IT concern—it was a business continuity and supply chain resilience issue.
The Solution
Partnering with a cybersecurity provider (following the Antigen Security approach), the manufacturer deployed a cyber assurance and visibility platform designed for the operational and digital manufacturing environment.
Key components included:
Continuous Control Validation: Automated checks for endpoint protection, patching, and privileged access management across IT and OT systems.
Network Segmentation & Visibility: Real-time monitoring of communication between production equipment, ERP systems, and cloud supply chain tools to detect anomalies.
Supplier Risk Monitoring: Continuous scanning of vendor portals, EDI connections, and shared cloud folders to identify exposures and misconfigurations.
Incident Readiness & Simulation: Customized response playbooks for ransomware, system downtime, and supplier compromise.
Insurance-Ready Reporting: Delivery of detailed evidence—mapped to NIST CSF and ISO 27001—showing validated controls and risk scores for underwriters and customers.
The Outcome
Faster Risk Reduction and Greater Visibility
Within 45 days, the platform identified:
Outdated firmware on three key PLCs controlling production lines
A third-party logistics portal with exposed credentials
Gaps in backup verification for production scheduling systems
All issues were remediated quickly, and automated validation ensured they did not reappear.
Quantified Results
Cyber control compliance improved from 68% to 95% within 90 days
Insurance renewal negotiations led to a 52% reduction in annual premiums
$458,000 in direct annual premium savings
Expanded coverage for OT/IoT-related incidents and supply chain interruptions
No unplanned downtime events due to cyber incidents in the following 12 months
Strategic and Operational Benefits
Improved business continuity confidence for major construction clients
Simplified vendor cybersecurity reporting requirements
Enhanced trust with insurers and downstream supply partners
Strengthened reputation as a secure, digitally enabled manufacturer
Why It Matters for the Building Materials Industry
The building materials sector is rapidly digitizing—connecting production systems, logistics, and client portals to improve speed and visibility. However, these efficiencies come with new cybersecurity challenges:
Ransomware targeting manufacturing downtime
Supply chain data theft and invoice fraud
Legacy control systems vulnerable to external access
Rising insurance scrutiny and coverage limitations
By implementing continuous control validation, supplier monitoring, and insurer-ready cyber reporting, building materials manufacturers can:
✅ Reduce insurance costs and improve underwriting outcomes
✅ Prevent costly production downtime and supply disruption
✅ Strengthen client and contractor trust
✅ Protect sensitive operational and financial data
✅ Build resilience across their connected manufacturing ecosystem
Ready to Protect Your Operations and Strengthen Your Supply Chain?
If your building materials company wants to reduce cyber risk, improve insurer confidence, and safeguard operational uptime, contact us to learn how a cyber assurance program for industrial manufacturers can deliver measurable resilience and ROI.