On a production site, an IT problem quickly becomes a production problem. We help North East manufacturers and engineering firms keep office and shop floor systems running, keep production networks protected and answer the security questions customers now ask.
Production, stock and despatch often depend on a few PCs, label printers and scanners. When one fails, work can stop.
Machine controllers and older PCs running specialist software often cannot be patched like office computers, so they need protecting in other ways.
Design teams need powerful workstations, large file storage and backups that protect drawings and machine programmes.
Customers increasingly send security questionnaires and ask for Cyber Essentials or, in automotive work, further assessments.
Steel framed units, racking and machinery make WiFi coverage difficult for handhelds and tablets.
The North East has a strong manufacturing and engineering base, from the automotive supply chain around Sunderland and Washington to fabrication, precision engineering and process businesses across Tyneside, County Durham and Teesside. These businesses run on a mix of office IT and shop floor technology, and both have to work.
Cyber Fits is a family run IT company based in Sunderland. Our managing director previously worked as an IT manager and engineer in a production environment, so we understand that a failed PC on the line is not the same as a failed PC in the office. We look after manufacturers and engineering firms of around 5 to 100 staff.
Production equipment, often called operational technology or OT, includes machine controllers, PCs running CNC or inspection software, and building or process control systems. Many of these run older operating systems because the machine supplier only supports a particular version, so they cannot simply be updated like a normal computer.
The answer is separation. We design networks that keep production equipment on its own segment, with firewall rules that allow only the connections it actually needs. Office computers, guest devices and CCTV each sit on their own network too. If a phishing email infects an office laptop, it cannot easily reach the machines that make your products. Where suppliers need remote access to equipment, we set it up securely and in a way you control, rather than leaving an always on connection.
Design and engineering teams need workstations with the right graphics, memory and storage for their CAD software, and somewhere safe to keep drawings, models and machine programmes. We specify and supply suitable hardware, set up shared storage with sensible version control, and make sure everything is included in tested backups. Losing years of drawings or programmes to a failed disk or ransomware is a risk no engineering firm should carry.
Larger customers now routinely assess the cyber security of their suppliers. You may be sent questionnaires, asked about backups and incident plans, or asked to hold Cyber Essentials, the government backed scheme that covers firewalls, secure configuration, access control, malware protection and updates. Some automotive customers go further and ask for an assessment under TISAX, an information security assessment used in the automotive industry.
We help you put the right controls in place, document them clearly and answer the technical questions accurately. We help businesses prepare for Cyber Essentials; certification itself is carried out by an independent certification body. For more involved assessments we can handle the IT side while you work with a specialist assessor.
We look after offices, workshops and warehouses across Tyne and Wear, County Durham and Teesside, with remote support for everyday issues and engineers who come to site when needed. As well as managed IT support, we provide cyber security, CCTV and access control, and through our sister brands business phones and broadband, so one local company can look after it all. Book a free IT review and we will look at your office and shop floor IT together.
Yes. We look after office computers, shop floor PCs, label printers, scanners and the networks that connect them, and we plan updates and changes around production.
It is common, and it does not have to be a crisis. If the machine supplier only supports an older version, we protect those computers by isolating them on their own network, restricting what they can talk to and controlling remote access, while planning upgrades when the opportunity arises.
Yes. We review your setup against the Cyber Essentials requirements, fix the gaps and help you complete the questionnaire. Certification is then carried out by an independent certification body.
Yes. We specify workstations to suit your CAD software and the size of your models, then supply, set up and support them, including backups of your design data.
Yes. We install and support CCTV and access control for units, yards and offices, kept on its own network so it does not affect your business systems.
Backup and continuity
Microsoft keeps its service running, but protecting your emails and files is your job. Here is what the built in retention really covers, where it falls short and what a proper Microsoft 365 backup adds.
Cyber security
Multi factor authentication is one of the most effective security steps a small business can take. Here is how the different methods compare and how to roll MFA out across Microsoft 365 without upsetting your team.
Cyber security
Cyber Essentials is the UK Government backed scheme that shows your business has the basic security controls in place. Here is how it works, what it costs and how to prepare.
Book a free, no obligation IT review. We will look at your setup, tell you honestly what needs attention and give you a clear fixed monthly price.
