# Security for manufacturers and food producers

> Manufacturers face contract security clauses from government and commercial customers, and food producers that keep FDA-required records electronically must meet 21 CFR Part 11. CyberAccord helps manufacturers protect office and plant networks, keep systems recoverable, document controls for customer questionnaires, and test defenses against the attacks that halt production.

Source: https://www.cyberaccord.com/industries/manufacturing · Last reviewed: 2026-10-22

Downtime stops production, customers send supplier security questionnaires, and regulated records must be trustworthy. We help manufacturers protect plant and office systems and meet the requirements their customers and regulators set.

## Key facts

- **Federal suppliers:** FAR 52.204-21; DFARS and CMMC for DoD
- **Food producers:** 21 CFR Part 11 for electronic records
- **Main risk:** Ransomware that halts production
- **Reference model:** NIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0

## The obligations and risks you face

### Federal supply chains carry safeguarding clauses

Manufacturers that hold Federal Contract Information must apply the basic safeguarding controls in FAR 52.204-21. Suppliers to defense primes that receive Controlled Unclassified Information also face DFARS 252.204-7012 and NIST SP 800-171, with CMMC status required in new contracts.

Source: [FAR 52.204-21](https://www.acquisition.gov/far/52.204-21)

### Electronic records must be trustworthy

When FDA-required records are kept electronically, Part 11 requires controls such as system validation, limited access, and secure, computer-generated, time-stamped audit trails that record who created, changed or deleted a record. Those are security controls as much as quality ones.

Source: [21 CFR Part 11, Electronic Records](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/chapter-I/subchapter-A/part-11)

### Recovery is part of the framework, not an afterthought

NIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0 adds a Govern function to identify, protect, detect, respond and recover. For a plant, the recover function is where most of the business risk sits: separated networks, offline backups and a tested plan to restore production systems.

Source: [NIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0](https://www.nist.gov/cyberframework)

## What we recommend

- [Managed Security](https://www.cyberaccord.com/services/managed-security)
- [Penetration Testing](https://www.cyberaccord.com/services/security-testing/penetration-testing)
- [Security Questionnaires](https://www.cyberaccord.com/services/advisory/security-questionnaires)

## Applicable frameworks

- [NIST](https://www.cyberaccord.com/compliance/nist)
- [ISO 27001](https://www.cyberaccord.com/compliance/iso-27001)

## Frequently asked questions

### Should plant systems be on the same network as the office?

No. Separate production systems from office IT so that a compromised laptop or mailbox cannot reach the controllers and servers that run the line. Remote access for vendors should go through a controlled, logged path with multi-factor authentication.

### A customer sent a supplier security questionnaire. Where do we begin?

Answer from the controls you actually have, note gaps honestly with a remediation date, and keep the answers in a reusable library. Many questionnaires map to NIST or ISO 27001, so organizing your program around one of them pays off.

### How do we make sure we can recover from ransomware?

Keep backups that attackers cannot reach or alter, test restoring them on a schedule, document the order in which systems come back, and rehearse the plan with operations staff as well as IT.

## Contact CyberAccord

- Book a free consultation: https://www.cyberaccord.com/contact
- Phone: +1 (832) 429-5665
- Email: info@cyberaccord.com