One wrong click: Cyberattacks’ potential to impact packaging pros

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One wrong click: Cyberattacks’ potential to impact packaging pros

30 Sep 2025

Annie Hollon

Annie Hollon is a journalist, copywriter and social media strategist from the Dallas, Texas area. She found a love for magazine writing during her time at the University of Alabama where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts, double majoring in public relations and English. Beyond writing, you can find her expanding her library, attempting to teach herself the guitar and trying new hobbies.

LAS VEGAS — While from a distance, cyberattacks can be dismissed as sci-fi fodder, their impact can be detrimental to packaging and manufacturing companies. For instance, a cyberattack perpetrator could gain access to an organization’s production scheduling and credit card processing systems through an ill-fated click on an AI-crafted email impersonating a key supplier.

Andy Lomasky, senior director of IT at PMMI, the association for packaging and processing technologies, discussed cybersecurity risks, such as this real-life example and more, during Cybersecurity Made Practical: Protecting Packaging Systems and Customers, an education session held on the Industry Speaks stage during Pack Expo 2025.

No two cyberattacks look the same, Lomasky noted. Evolving technology has made it easier for cyberattacks to mimic authentic contacts and organizations, meaning companies need to stay on their toes to avoid cataclysmic digital damage.

“There have been documented incidents where an attack can manipulate a servo motor or piece of equipment, and all of a sudden, that machine is doing something that is unsafe or just gets shut down,” he said.

Beyond bots and hackers

Beyond ransomware, the evolving risks include the incorporation of AI, which makes it easier for individuals to create convincing phishing communications and deepfakes mimicking others.

A cyberattack can have serious consequences for companies, especially those in the packaging space.

“The threat of operational disruption has never been bigger when it comes to these types of threats, especially in the manufacturing world,” Lomasky said, noting that an attack could disrupt operations, derail production schedules and even take down a manufacturing line for an extended window of time.

Beyond impacting the bottom line, falling victim to cyberattacks also exposes packaging companies to the potential loss of customer trust.

“When you talk about the supply chain, your reputational risk of having been through a cyber incident and the erosion of trust with your customers, partners, suppliers, it’s a real thing,” Lomasky said. “I can tell you from experience that trust erodes, and it’s very, very difficult to win back, especially when you’re talking about missed customer orders or the ability to do business with you in general.”

For manufacturers, there are specific risks that can make companies more vulnerable to cyberattacks. This includes the use of connected machinery supported by IoT, complex vendor ecosystems, the use of older equipment running on outdated software, and the use of cloud systems for monitoring and maintenance operations.

There are myriad defenses against cyberattacks that organizations can utilize. Lomasky identified a few options, including AI-aware training, network segmentation, identity controls, zero trust foundation and vendor due diligence. Investing in these can help manufacturers protect themselves, their customers and their businesses.

Lomasky implored companies to view cybersecurity as an investment akin to workplace safety.

“Nobody even knows it’s there, because everything is humming along,” he said. “But when things go awry, the consequences are catastrophic. In workplace safety, that’s people’s lives and health on the line, but in cybersecurity, it’s business value.”

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