The Cyber Resilience Act will profoundly change the way companies design, market and maintain their connected products. For industrial SMEs, this European regulation is not simply another regulatory requirement. It marks a major shift: cybersecurity is becoming an integral requirement from the very beginning of the design process for digital, connected and industrial products.
In an article examining the implications of the Cyber Resilience Act for industrial SMEs, Agoria cites MCG as one of the Belgian companies capable of supporting businesses through this transition.
This recognition is significant, as it confirms our role within the Belgian cybersecurity ecosystem, particularly in areas related to industrial security, OT (Operational Technology) and the convergence between traditional IT and production environments.
The Cyber Resilience Act is a European regulation designed to strengthen the cybersecurity of products with digital elements.
It applies in particular to manufacturers, importers and distributors of connected products, software, industrial equipment, embedded systems and solutions incorporating network connectivity.
In practical terms, if a product contains software, exchanges data, connects to a network or can be updated remotely, it may fall within the scope of the CRA.
The objective is clear: to prevent vulnerable products from being placed on the European market without adequate cybersecurity requirements.
Until now, security has too often been added as an afterthought, once a product had already been developed, sold or installed. The CRA changes this approach. Cybersecurity will need to be integrated from the earliest stages of product design.
For industrial companies, this represents a major change. It requires them to reconsider how products are designed, documented, maintained and patched throughout their entire lifecycle.
An industrial SME may be affected by the Cyber Resilience Act even if it does not consider itself a technology company.
A connected machine, smart sensor, programmable controller, supervisory system, human-machine interface, business software application or network-connected piece of equipment may all fall within its scope.
This is precisely what Gregorio Matias highlights in Agoria’s article: OT, or Operational Technology, is at the heart of the challenges created by the Cyber Resilience Act. OT refers to the technologies used to operate and control industrial environments.
For many years, these systems remained relatively isolated. Today, they are increasingly connected to IT networks, monitoring tools, cloud solutions, external service providers and remote maintenance systems.
This increased connectivity brings significant benefits in terms of productivity, monitoring and efficiency. But it also expands the attack surface.
For an industrial SME, the risk is therefore far from theoretical. A vulnerability in a connected piece of equipment can result in production downtime, data leakage, loss of control over certain systems or service disruption.
The consequences can be significant: financial losses, internal disruption, increased pressure on teams, reputational damage and a loss of customer trust.
This is where MCG’s expertise makes a real difference. We help companies identify their actual risks, prioritise the actions that matter most and implement measures suited to their operational environment.
Is Hiring a Cybersecurity Consultant Essential for Your Business?
One of the major challenges of the Cyber Resilience Act lies in the convergence between IT and OT.
As Gregorio Matias points out, they are “two distinct worlds”. “OT professionals do not understand IT risks. They do not speak the same language. (...) And if no one builds a bridge between them, both worlds remain vulnerable.”
IT covers traditional information technology systems: workstations, servers, email, networks, applications and user access.
OT, on the other hand, refers to industrial systems used to produce, measure, control or automate operations.
These two worlds do not always share the same priorities.
IT teams often think in terms of confidentiality, access control, patching, backups and compliance. OT teams primarily focus on continuity, availability, physical safety and production stability.
In many industrial companies, IT and OT teams still work in silos. One side wants to address vulnerabilities as quickly as possible. The other is concerned that an update could disrupt production.
One approaches the issue from a cybersecurity perspective. The other from an industrial operations perspective.
Both approaches are legitimate. But without coordination, the company remains exposed.
MCG’s role is precisely to build the necessary bridge between IT and OT.
We help management teams, IT departments and operational managers speak the same language, understand shared risks and develop a cybersecurity strategy that is compatible with the realities on the ground.
The Cyber Resilience Act introduces several important requirements.
The first concerns security by design. Companies will need to integrate cybersecurity into product development. This means reducing unnecessary access, securing data exchanges, limiting weak default configurations and implementing reliable update mechanisms.
The second concerns vulnerability management. Manufacturers will need to be able to identify, address and remediate vulnerabilities discovered in their products. This requires clear processes, clearly defined responsibilities and the ability to respond quickly.
The third concerns transparency. Users will need clearer information about product security, support periods, available updates and any potential limitations.
Cybersecurity therefore also becomes an important factor in commercial trust.
Finally, certain actively exploited vulnerabilities and serious incidents will need to be reported within the required timeframes.
For companies, this means having the ability to rapidly detect, assess and document security incidents.
For MCG, these obligations confirm one simple reality: cybersecurity can no longer be improvised. It must be structured before an emergency occurs.
The Cyber Resilience Act deadlines may give companies the impression that there is still plenty of time.
In reality, preparing properly requires substantial groundwork.
Companies need to identify the products concerned, map risks, analyse dependencies, document processes, organise vulnerability management, clarify responsibilities and implement the appropriate protection measures.
Industrial environments also have to take into account the specific constraints of OT: legacy machinery, systems that are difficult to patch, critical availability requirements, long product lifecycles and dependencies on certain suppliers.
This is precisely why MCG advocates an approach based on anticipation.
The objective is not to make companies’ day-to-day operations more complex. Quite the opposite.
MCG helps its clients make the right decisions at the right time, with a clear understanding of their priorities.
This approach means internal teams do not have to carry the cybersecurity burden alone. They can continue focusing on their core responsibilities while MCG structures the analysis, recommendations and actions that need to be taken.
The Cyber Resilience Act may be perceived as a constraint, but for industrial SMEs that start preparing today, it can also become a competitive advantage.
A company that can demonstrate that its products are designed, maintained and secured to a high standard inspires greater confidence.
It reassures customers, partners and suppliers. It can more easily meet the requirements of major clients. And it also reduces its exposure to cyberattacks.
In an increasingly connected industrial environment, cybersecurity is becoming a key factor in business credibility.
Companies do not have to face this transition alone.
The Cyber Resilience Act requires technical, regulatory and operational expertise. It also requires the ability to translate sometimes complex obligations into concrete, realistic actions adapted to operational realities.
The Cyber Resilience Act is coming. The companies that are best prepared will be those that understand that this is not just about compliance, but about trust, continuity and resilience.
