Why TÜV SÜD Is the Industrial Cybersecurity Authority

MUNICH—67% of all companies experience security incidents each year, says Andy Schweiger, Managing Director of Cybersecurity Services at TÜV SÜD, the global testing, certification and training authority. The era of “script kiddies” is over; the opportunistic attackers of a decade ago have matured into sophisticated threat actors. Today, state-sponsored groups and advanced malware, such as the EternalBlue exploit, give cybercriminals unprecedented power, while machine‑learning techniques help attackers stealthily locate and exploit vulnerable targets.

To stay ahead, TÜV SÜD is positioning itself as a trusted authority in industrial cybersecurity. Schweiger outlined five core strengths that enable this role:

• Deep understanding of evolving regulatory requirements— from GDPR to industry‑specific mandates that hold manufacturers of IoT‑connected devices liable for widespread exploits.
• Continuous monitoring of the threat landscape, providing real‑time intelligence on emerging risks.
• A dedicated team of over 30 cyber experts assembled in just six months.
• Impartial, neutral assessment—no vendor lock‑in, just objective guidance.
• A comprehensive “one‑stop shop” that covers strategy, technology, and operations.

Add value. Inspire trust.

Rather than offering a patchwork of security appliances, TÜV SÜD focuses on a holistic cyber strategy. Schweiger cautions that purchasing dozens of security devices without a unified plan can leave an organization more vulnerable than a well‑coordinated defense.

With a service portfolio split across four domains, TÜV SÜD delivers:

• Data Protection – consulting, compliance, and secure data disposal.
• Commercial Transaction Security – safeguarding e‑commerce and payment flows.
• Industrial Cybersecurity – AI‑driven security testing, network anomaly detection, and OT‑IT convergence.
• Expert Services – attack simulation, risk assessment, and penetration testing.

In the industrial arena, TÜV SÜD helps organizations merge OT and IT systems, ensuring that the security challenges of one domain do not spill over into the other. This integration also optimises processes and leverages best practices across the enterprise.

Risk in industrial settings is not only about data loss or downtime. According to Stefan Laudat, Information Security Manager at TÜV SÜD Sec‑IT GmbH, a cyber breach can threaten human lives, especially in environments where critical infrastructure and autonomous devices—such as aerospace exoskeletons—are in use.

The current threat level for industrial systems is moderate to high. While many attackers remain dormant, they are investing heavily in research, and the cost of developing industrial‑focused exploits continues to fall. Publicly accessible tools like Shodan enable reconnaissance on potential targets, and weak access controls, proprietary protocols, and the lightweight but insecure MQTT protocol further widen the attack surface.

When the cyber risk is deemed unacceptable, TÜV SÜD advises clients to consider analog alternatives or partial digitisation to mitigate exposure.

Unlike conventional audits that rely on interviews and can be biased, TÜV SÜD employs automated risk assessment tools that provide objective, data‑driven insights into an organization’s security posture.