Black & Veatch Report Highlights Late-Stage Cybersecurity Gaps in Industrial Projects — Black & Veatch Holding Company

Event summary

72% of industrial capital projects introduce cybersecurity too late or not at all, per Black & Veatch's global Cybersecurity Report.
78% of respondents link early cybersecurity adoption to reduced downtime and operational disruption.
Only 24% of respondents report that cybersecurity is always or often included early in industrial projects.
Charlie Sanchez, president of Infrastructure Advisory for Black & Veatch, emphasizes cybersecurity must be embedded early in capital requirements and procurement decisions.

The big picture

Black & Veatch's report underscores a critical gap in industrial project development, where cybersecurity is often an afterthought. This trend increases long-term risk and cost, particularly as adversaries target operational technology (OT) and industrial control systems. The findings highlight the need for early integration of cybersecurity to ensure public safety, economic stability, and national resilience.

What we're watching

Regulatory Compliance: Whether evolving regulations will push more organizations to adopt early cybersecurity measures beyond minimum standards.
Expertise Gap: How the lack of expertise in cybersecurity will impact the adoption of secure-by-design principles in industrial projects.
Business Case: The pace at which organizations demonstrate a clear business case for early cybersecurity adoption to drive broader market acceptance.