by Gary Mintchell | Jan 20, 2026 | Security
Ransomware continues to grow as a threat to manufacturing firms of various sizes according to this new report from the GuidePoint Research and Intelligence Team (GRIT). It reveals a 58% YoY increase in ransomware victims as record activity becomes the new norm.
GuidePoint Security announced January 15 the release of the GuidePoint Research and Intelligence Team’s (GRIT) annual Ransomware & Cyber Threat Report.
The GRIT 2026 Ransomware & Cyber Threat Report provides exclusive in-depth research, insights and analysis on a year of record-breaking ransomware activity, examining who cybercriminals are targeting (and why), the top tactics threat actors are using and how shifting ransomware group dynamics are redefining the threat landscape.
“The GRIT 2026 Ransomware & Cyber Threat Report shows the most active year for ransomware we’ve ever recorded, revealing a 58% year-over-year increase in ransomware victims,” said Jason Baker, Lead Threat Analyst at GuidePoint Security. “While law enforcement disruptions have reshaped the Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) ecosystem, group fragmentation is driving new patterns of high-volume, repeatable operations, pushing overall activity to record-breaking levels. The rise of Qilin as the most active group we’ve ever tracked — surpassing even LockBit at its peak — underscores how the ecosystem is evolving. For organizations, well-resourced defenders, proactive vulnerability management and real-time threat intelligence will be critical for mitigating risk in the year ahead.”
Findings from this year’s report include:
- Ransomware victim numbers hit a new all-time high. 2,287 ransomware victims were posted in Q4 2025 alone — the largest number recorded in a single quarter since the report’s inception.
- The number of threat groups has reached record levels. 124 distinct ransomware groups were active in 2025, the highest ever recorded and a 46% year-over-year increase.
- The United States remains a top geographic target for ransomware attacks. In 2025, more than half (55%) of ransomware victims were based in the U.S.
- A new RaaS leader has emerged. Qilin’s activity levels in 2025 were the highest of any group ever observed.
- The Manufacturing industry was most heavily impacted by ransomware, accounting for 14% of attacks. The Technology (9%) and Retail/Wholesale (7%) industries followed closely behind.
- High ransomware activity levels should continue in 2026. December 2025 was the most active month for claimed ransomware victims on record with 814 successful attacks — a 42% year-over-year increase.
The report also explores the growing use of AI in ransomware attacks, examines the impact of zero-day vulnerabilities on ransomware and takes an in-depth look at major ransomware operators throughout the year, including an analysis of ransomware payments made to the Qilin and Akira groups.
The GRIT 2026 Ransomware & Cyber Threat Report is based on data obtained from publicly available resources, vendor threat research, internal incident response case data and open-source intelligence collected from illicit forums and marketplaces.
Click on the Follow button at the bottom of the page to subscribe to a weekly email update of posts. Click on the mail icon to subscribe to additional email thoughts.
by Gary Mintchell | Jan 16, 2026 | News, Security, Technology
The podcasts I regularly listen to are filled with advertisements for Virtual Private Networks (VPN). These are touted as a way to conduct secure sessions while working, for example, at a coffee house. Side benefits accrue, as well, for example watching your local streaming services while traveling abroad.
Not so fast, says security startup, Zeroport. Several years ago, cutbacks in the Israeli military led to an exodus of talent who founded cybersecurity companies. Most of those have been acquired by now. But here comes a new company also with ancestry with the Israeli military.
Its take on VPN-type security lies in eliminating Internet Protocol (IP) access. Its patented non-IP remote access technology addresses vulnerabilities that led to the CISA breach and countless VPN compromises.
From their news release of January 15, 2026:
Zeroport, a provider of non-IP secure remote access solutions, today announced it has raised $10 million in funding to accelerate global expansion and product development. The round was led by lool ventures, with participation from Clarim Ventures, CyberFuture (Backed by Elron Ventures), and Fusion Fund.
The company will use the funding to expand into North America and APAC markets, grow its team from 25 to 40 employees within a year, and enhance its flagship Fantom platform. The company already secures remote access for large organizations worldwide, demonstrating proven adoption across critical infrastructure, power, financial institutions, and government sectors. Zeroport addresses a $30 billion market growing at 20% annually.
The secure remote access market remains fundamentally broken as all existing solutions rely on IP-based communication that allows malware to penetrate networks and theft of sensitive internal data, a vulnerability so severe that even CISA, the U.S. cyber defense agency, was breached through its own VPN devices. This forces organizations to either remain completely offline or rely on complex & outdated IP-based remote access systems.
Zeroport’s Fantom platform pioneers the first non-IP-based secure remote access solution, using patented hardware that creates a physical non‐IP bridge at network boundaries. Inbound flows are physically limited to human interaction signals; outbound flows are display-only pixel streams. No packets can physically enter or leave the network; therefore, no malware can get in, and no data can get out.
This unique approach enables organizations to provide secure remote access for the first time, while maintaining complete visibility and control over sessions. This translates into cost savings by both replacing the complex legacy remote access stack and enabling remote operations in situations that were previously not possible. The technology has already demonstrated measurable impact, eliminating $5 million in annual travel costs for one systems integrator by enabling secure remote network monitoring & maintenance, previously impossible with traditional remote access tools.
The founding team brings together exceptional cybersecurity and hardware expertise from elite military intelligence backgrounds. Co-founder and CEO Joseph Gertz brings over 15 years of global business leadership and entrepreneurial experience. Co-founder and CTO Lavi Friedman and Zeroport’s COO, Rotem Kalmi, are both alumni of the IDF’s elite Unit 81 (Technological Intelligence Unit). The team’s unique perspective on remote connectivity challenges emerged when Friedman and Gertz met during reserve duty at Unit 81, where they identified critical gaps in secure remote access solutions.
Click on the Follow button at the bottom of the page to subscribe to a weekly email update of posts. Click on the mail icon to subscribe to additional email thoughts.
by Gary Mintchell | Jan 12, 2026 | Automation, Data Management, Generative AI, Manufacturing IT, Software, Technology
Siemens seems to have found a home at CES over the past few years. I don’t know what it costs to give a keynote, but it’s probably well worth it, since no other major automation supplier seems to attend. I did write about a robotic exhibitor in my last post. Oh, and I’m still not likely to travel to Las Vegas for the next CES. I’ll save a ton of money and grief by receiving the news at home.
Siemens has maintained strong collaboration with Microsoft for decades—see all the Copilot news below. Recently, NVIDIA has joined the collaboration dance. Also, see news below. I think Siemens thought they’d gain penetration into the North American market through Chrysler’s acquisition by a German company plus the plants constructed by VW and BMW. That market is not so hot—see the proportion of sales into automotive by competitor Rockwell Automation, for example. Check out the customers featured by Siemens at CES this year: PepsiCo, Commonwealth Fusion Systems, Meta Ray-Ban, and Haddy.
Perhaps the best acquisition, and most successful, that Siemens ever made was with UGS years ago. While rivals have struggled with software (and competitors have nibbled at some of the Siemens applications), Siemens continues to strengthen Xcelerator and Copilot technologies. And check out the launch of Digital Twin Composer. Digital Twin technology and application seems to be finally gaining traction.
In short, Siemens announcements:
- Siemens and NVIDIA expand their partnership to build the Industrial AI Operating System, reinventing the entire end-to-end industrial value chain through AI – from design and engineering to manufacturing, production, operations, and into supply chains.
- Siemens launches Digital Twin Composer software, available on Siemens Xcelerator Marketplace mid-2026, to power the industrial metaverse at scale
- PepsiCo using Siemens Digital Twin Composer to simulate upgrades to its facilities in the U.S. with plans to scale globally
- Siemens unveils nine industrial copilots to bring intelligence across the industrial value chain
- Siemens highlights new technologies for accelerating drug discovery, autonomous driving and shop floor efficiency
“Industrial AI is no longer a feature; it’s a force that will reshape the next century. Siemens is delivering AI-native capabilities, intelligence embedded end-to-end across design, engineering and operations, to help our customers anticipate issues, accelerate innovation and reduce cost,” said Roland Busch, President and CEO of Siemens AG.
“Just as electricity once revolutionized the world, industry is shifting toward elements where AI powers products, factories, buildings, grids and transportation. Industrial AI is no longer a feature; it’s a force that will reshape the next century. Siemens is delivering AI-native capabilities, intelligence embedded end-to-end across design, engineering and operations, to help our customers anticipate issues, accelerate innovation and reduce cost,” continued Busch. “From the most comprehensive digital twin and AI-powered hardware to copilots on the shop floor, we’re scaling intelligence across the physical world, so businesses realize speed, quality and efficiency all at once. This is how we scale a once-in-a-generation technology shift into measurable outcomes.”
Siemens and NVIDIA are expanding their partnership to build the Industrial AI Operating System – helping customers revolutionize how they design, engineer, and operate physical systems. They will work together to build AI-accelerated industrial solutions across the full lifecycle of products and production, enabling faster innovation, continuous optimization, and more resilient, sustainable manufacturing. The companies also aim to build the world’s first fully AI-driven, adaptive manufacturing sites globally, starting in 2026 with the Siemens Electronics Factory in Erlangen, Germany, as the first blueprint.
To support development, NVIDIA will provide AI infrastructure, simulation libraries, models, frameworks and blueprints, while Siemens will commit hundreds of industrial AI experts and leading hardware and software. The companies have identified impact areas to make this vision a reality: AI-native EDA, AI-native Simulation, AI-driven adaptive manufacturing and supply chain, and AI-factories.
Integration with Siemens software.
Siemens also announced that it will be integrating NVIDIA NIM and NVIDIA Nemotron open AI models into its electronic design automation (EDA) software offerings to advance generative and agentic workflows for semiconductor and PCB design. This will both maximize accuracy through domain specialization and significantly lower operational costs by enabling the most efficient model to handle and adapt to every specific need.
Product Launch
Siemens’ primary product launch at CES 2026 is the Digital Twin Composer, available on the Siemens Xcelerator Marketplace mid-2026. This new technology brings together Siemens’ comprehensive digital twin, simulations built using NVIDIA Omniverse libraries, and real-time, real-world engineering data.
With the Digital Twin Composer, companies can create a virtual 3D model of any product, process, or plant; put it in a 3D scene of their choosing; then move back and forth through time, precisely visualizing the effects of everything from weather changes to engineering changes. With Siemens’ software as the data backbone, the Digital Twin Composer builds Industrial Metaverse environments at scale, empowering organizations to apply industrial AI, simulation and real-time physical data to make decisions virtually, at speed and scale. Digital Twin Composer is part of Siemens Xcelerator, an industry proven portfolio of software used by companies worldwide to develop digital twins.
Customer application of digital twins
PepsiCo and Siemens are digitally transforming select U.S. manufacturing and warehouse facilities by converting them into high-fidelity 3D digital twins that simulate plant operations and the end-to-end supply chain to establish a performance baseline. Within weeks, teams optimized and validated new configurations to boost capacity and throughput, giving PepsiCo a unified, real-time view of operations with flexibility to integrate AI-driven capabilities over time.
Leveraging Siemens’ Digital Twin Composer, NVIDIA Omniverse libraries and computer vision, PepsiCo can now recreate every machine, conveyor, pallet route and operator path with physics-level accuracy, enabling AI agents to simulate, test, and refine system changes – identifying up to 90 percent of potential issues before any physical modifications occur. This approach has already delivered a 20 percent increase in throughput on initial deployment and is driving faster design cycles, nearly 100 percent design validation and 10 to 15 percent reductions in capital expenditure (Capex) by uncovering hidden capacity and validating investments in a virtual environment.
New Industrial Copilots Streamline Manufacturing Operations
Siemens also spotlighted its partnership with Microsoft highlighting co-building the industrial copilot.
Siemens also announced that it is expanding its set of AI-powered copilots across the industrial value chain. This will embed intelligence that extends from design and simulation to product lifecycle management, manufacturing, and operations.
Siemens will deploy nine new AI-powered copilots for its software offerings, this will include Teamcenter, Polarion, and Opcenter. These copilots, respectively, streamline product data navigation, reducing errors and accelerating time to market; automate compliance, helping to ensure faster regulatory approvals and lower risk; and transform manufacturing processes, driving cost savings and operational efficiency.
These copilots, along with the rest of Siemens’ expanding portfolio of industrial AI solutions, are available to companies of every size on the Siemens Xcelerator Marketplace.
AI-Driven Innovations in Life Sciences, Energy and Manufacturing
- Siemens acquired Dotmatics whose Luma platform enables scientists to unify billions of data points generated across instruments and labs, creating a coherent foundation for AI-driven exploration. Combined with Siemens Simcenter simulation and digital twins, teams can rapidly test molecules, identify promising candidates, and virtually scale production to help life-changing therapies reach patients up to 50% faster and at a lower cost.
- Bob Mumgaard, CEO and co-founder of Commonwealth Fusion Systems, described how the company uses Siemens’ technologies as it leads the path to commercial fusion. Commonwealth Fusion Systems uses design software and a strong data backbone to help it accelerate the development of fusion machines that promise clean, limitless energy for generations to come.
- In manufacturing, Siemens announced a collaboration to bring Industrial AI to Meta Ray-Ban AI Glasses. With hands-free, real-time audio guidance, safety insights, and feedback, shop floor workers will feel empowered to solve problems efficiently and confidently.
- Haddy is reshaping manufacturing through AI-powered 3D printing and localized micro factories that deliver sustainable, high-quality products faster and closer to customers. Facing challenges around supply chain disruption, sustainability, and production agility, Haddy partnered with Siemens to streamline design, optimize operations, and scale efficiently.
Click on the Follow button at the bottom of the page to subscribe to a weekly email update of posts. Click on the mail icon to subscribe to additional email thoughts.
by Gary Mintchell | Jan 9, 2026 | Robots, Technology
I haven’t been to a general technology trade show for years. Going to the manufacturing mecca known as Hannover costs more than I wish to pay for the experience. My company exhibited at the old Comdex in Las Vegas and Chicago back in the late 80s-early 90s. That folded. Consumer Electronic Show (CES) replaced it as the huge tech show. I’ve never been. I’m not interested in TVs.
It’s still more expense and hassle than I wish to pursue to travel to Las Vegas for a huge show. However, more manufacturing technology companies exhibit there. I probably still won’t make the trip the first week of a new year. I do watch for news.
Something I never thought I’d see from CES was news about industrial robotics. This piece is a collaboration with Universal Robots, Robotiq, and Siemens. One trend is growing collaboration among companies. Another is digital twin or what once was called “cyber-physical systems.”
Universal Robots (UR), part of Teradyne Robotics, and Robotiq have unveiled a robotic palletizing solution at CES 2026 in collaboration with Siemens. The joint demonstration in Las Vegas highlights how advanced robotics and digital twin technology can accelerate industrial transformation for manufacturers worldwide.
The solution combines Robotiq’s PAL Ready palletizing cell with Universal Robots’ UR20 robot arm, integrated into Siemens’ automation hardware and new Digital Twin Composer software – launched at the event. Visitors to the Siemens booth #8725 in the LVCC North Hall will experience a digital-meets-physical showcase, where a fully simulated palletizing cell is rendered photo-realistically in real time and paired with a live hardware demonstration.
Designed to support a company’s operational needs, the system palletizes boxes of chips and beverages, leveraging digital twin analytics to optimize gripper performance and suction points dynamically. With data captured using Siemens’ Industrial Edge hardware, and then streamed to Siemens’ Insights Hub Copilot , the demonstrator provides real-time insights into cell behavior, reinforcing the theme of ‘digital AI meets physical AI’ and presents it in a real-time photorealistic environment built using Siemens’ new Digital Twin Composer software.
Click on the Follow button at the bottom of the page to subscribe to a weekly email update of posts. Click on the mail icon to subscribe to additional email thoughts.
by Gary Mintchell | Jan 8, 2026 | Automation, Software
I’m catching up on some pre-holiday news. Companies have been developing custom packages to (hopefully) make things easier for customers to know what to purchase and apply. This is a unique little package. Siemens is offering a starter pack for small and medium sized businesses in order to “enhance operational efficiency.”
The Siemens prelude and justification, “With the U.S. industrial sector projected to face 1.9 million unfilled jobs by 2032, according to Deloitte, and equipment failures causing up to 20% production losses, SMBs are under pressure from workforce shortages, costly downtime, rising operating costs, supply chain disruptions and the complexities of adopting Industry 4.0 technologies.”
“Small- and medium-sized manufacturers are the backbone of our economy and they are dealing with a different set of challenges compared to enterprise-scale manufacturers,” said Chris Stevens, president, Siemens Digital Industries, U.S. “Among these are transparency to performance, workforce readiness, technology integration, cybersecurity, and productivity.”
The offer
For SMB manufacturers navigating today’s complex production landscape, the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio offers a transformative solution. Its open digital business platform provides solution-as-a-service — and includes the innovative new SMB Production Optimization Starter Pack manufacturing software, which includes the Siemens Industrial Edge Management Cloud and Industrial Edge Virtual Device. These cybersecure tools empower end users to pay for what they need and scale at their own pace.
Siemens has made this digital transformation journey accessible through a three-month free trial, followed by an affordable annual subscription. This comprehensive package includes technical support, self-paced training, and the invaluable expertise of Siemens’ robust network of trusted partners across the U.S.
Siemens’ partners, including PROLIM, are instrumental in delivering the SMB Production Optimization Starter Pack to market, providing localized support, hands-on implementation assistance, and tailored guidance to ensure a truly seamless and supported digital transformation.
Typical of software press releases, here is the use case using cool generic terms. But I still think it’s a good idea.
The SMB Production Optimization Starter Pack provides real-time insights and flexible dashboards and reporting, empowering manufacturers to evolve from reactive problem-solving to proactive operational excellence. This integrated, modular solution is agile, flexible and scalable, and is designed for easy implementation without specialized IT skills or complex infrastructure changes.
Click on the Follow button at the bottom of the page to subscribe to a weekly email update of posts. Click on the mail icon to subscribe to additional email thoughts.
by Gary Mintchell | Jan 7, 2026 | Automation
When the folks at 37signals released a new email client in 2020, I jumped on it. I love HEY. An added bonus is a client for sending email newsletters. You can find mine here.
I’ve been involved with electronics most of my life. Gadgets. Tools. Ways to make things better. My involvement with automation taught me that not all automation (as in all technology) is beneficial. Sometimes we get way to smart for our own good.
37signals co-founder and CEO Jason Fried recently wrote about a house he rented for his parents while they stayed in his town for a bit.
Not a good experience
My folks are in town visiting us for a couple months so we rented them a house nearby.
It’s new construction. No one has lived in it yet. It’s amped up with state of the art systems. You know, the ones with touchscreens of various sizes, IoT appliances, and interfaces that try too hard.
Did they love all this state-of-the-art?
And it’s terrible. What a regression.
When you want light, you flip a switch. Easy.
The lights are powered by Control4. And require a demo to understand how to use the switches, understand which ones control what, and to be sure not to hit THAT ONE because it’ll turn off all the lights in the house when you didn’t mean to. Worse.
This one takes the prize for idiot-of-the-year.
The Miele dishwasher is hidden flush with the counters. That part is fine, but here’s what isn’t: It wouldn’t even operate the first time without connecting it with an app. This meant another call to the house manager to have them install an app they didn’t know they needed either. An app to clean some peanut butter off a plate? For serious? Worse.
Setting the temperature? Should be easy.
Thermostats… Nest would have been an upgrade, but these other propriety ones from some other company trying to be nest-like are baffling. Round touchscreens that take you into a dark labyrinth of options just to be sure it’s set at 68. Or is it 68 now? Or is that what we want it at, but it’s at 72? Wait… What? Which number is this? Worse.
Compared to his experience on vacation:
It’s really the contrast that makes it alarming. We just got back from a vacation in Montana. Rented a house there. They did have a fancy TV — seems those can’t be avoided these days — but everything else was old school and clear. Physical up/down light switches in the right places. Appliances without the internet. Buttons with depth and physically-confirmed state change rather than surfaces that don’t obviously register your choice. More traditional round rotating Honeywell thermostats that are just clear and obvious. No tours, no instructions, no questions, no fearing you’re going to do something wrong, no wondering how something works. Useful and universally clear. That’s human that’s modern.
If you are designing automated anything—consider these experiences. Make the thing human friendly.
Click on the Follow button at the bottom of the page to subscribe to a weekly email update of posts. Click on the mail icon to subscribe to additional email thoughts.
