Yet despite the growing recognition of these risks, familiar failings persist. Security is too often bolted on as a non-functional extra, threat modelling is neglected and teams operate in isolation, with testing deferred until late in the game. These lapses are not mere abstractions. Recent disclosures of critical vulnerabilities in connected vehicles from manufacturers such as Kia,10 which enabled remote unlocking and tracking of vehicles already in the field, demonstrate how security gaps introduced during design can surface only after deployment. Equally, a 2025 cyberattack on Jaguar Land Rover’s IT systems forced a weeks- long shutdown of UK production facilities, disrupting manufacturing operations and rippling through its global supply chain, illustrating the operational consequences of exploited security weaknesses.11 As frontier technologies mature, these failures become increasingly consequential. Threats such as data poisoning, adversarial sensor manipulation, agent identity spoofing and quantum-enabled decryption are no longer hypothetical edge cases; they arise directly from the speed, autonomy and interdependence of next-generation systems. The architecture of cybersecurity must evolve to meet the demands of frontier technologies. Zero trust and layered defences, once the preserve of IT, are now being retooled for a world where legacy machinery shares the shop floor with autonomous agents and intelligent sensors. Encryption, once an afterthought, is fast becoming the lifeblood of industrial data flows. This is enabled by embedding security controls directly into cyber-physical architecture through secure device identities, authenticated machine-to-machine communication, integrity validation of models and control logic, and continuous monitoring of autonomous systems in operation. Yet, as industry specialists caution, the real battleground is organizational. Transformation depends on shifting mindsets, as illustrated in Figure 7. Securing the next frontier: mindset shifts for cyber-physical operations FIGURE 7 IT-centric securitySecurity embedded into cyber- physical systems by design Risk ownership by security teamsRisk ownership by business & operations leaders Bureaucratic hurdle with constrained compliance budgetA source of resilience and catalyst for growthTechnologyOrganization StrategyFrom: To:Mindset shift The mindset shifts illustrated in Figure 7 enable tailored solutions: for example, a manufacturer, facing the challenge of integrating AI and IoT, found success by involving operations teams in security governance, ensuring controls were relevant and adaptable rather than rigidly imposed. Early threat modelling, cross-functional collaboration and clear governance are no longer optional. In this new landscape, resilience and trust are forged not just in code, but in boardrooms and on factory floors, wherever leadership is willing to see security as a source of competitive advantage. Resilience and trust are forged not just in code, but in boardrooms and on factory floors, wherever leadership is willing to see security as a source of competitive advantage. Intelligent Industrial Operations Outlook 2026 51