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Ransomware is exploiting factory VPNs: Manufacturers should rethink OT remote access governance, says Secomea

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Just-in-time vendor access, auditability, and containment are key controls for reducing ransomware risk in manufacturing, according to Secomea

COPENHAGEN, Denmark, June 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Following a recent increase in publicly reported ransomware and extortion incidents affecting manufacturers and industrial suppliers, Secomea is urging organizations to reassess how third-party remote access is managed across production environments.

In operational technology (OT) environments, third-party remote access is essential for maintenance, troubleshooting, and equipment support. However, as ransomware groups increasingly target manufacturing organizations, security teams are facing growing pressure to balance operational continuity with cybersecurity, compliance, and vendor access control.

“Many organizations focus on keeping attackers out, but far fewer examine how much access is available once someone gets in,” said Knud Kegel, CTPO at Secomea. “In manufacturing environments, remote access is essential for keeping operations running. The challenge is making sure that access is controlled, temporary, and visible.”

Manufacturers rely on machine builders, system integrators, and service providers to support critical equipment remotely. However, always-on access, shared credentials, and limited oversight can create opportunities for attackers to move through environments once an initial compromise occurs.

While the specific circumstances vary from incident to incident, recent attacks highlight a common challenge: balancing operational access with security and oversight.

According to Secomea, organizations should focus on three areas:

Reduce standing access
Vendor access should be granted only when needed and removed when the task is complete. Limiting access windows reduces the opportunity for misuse, credential abuse, and unauthorized activity.

Improve visibility and accountability
Organizations should be able to see who accessed systems, when they connected, and what actions were performed. Detailed audit trails support investigations, compliance requirements, cyber insurance reporting, and incident response.

Prepare for containment
When suspicious activity is detected, security and operations teams need practical ways to isolate affected assets and prevent disruptions from spreading across production environments.

Effective OT access governance combines least-privilege access, just-in-time vendor access, auditability, and rapid containment to reduce cyber risk while maintaining operational continuity.

These measures have become increasingly important as manufacturers face growing regulatory scrutiny, rising cyber insurance requirements, and continued pressure to maintain operational uptime.

Practical steps for ransomware-ready OT remote access

As manufacturers review their cyber resilience strategies, Secomea recommends assessing whether the following controls and processes are in place:

Just-in-time vendor access instead of persistent remote connectionsApproval-based workflows for access to critical systemsLeast-privilege permissions for users and vendorsAudit trails that support investigations, compliance, and forensic analysisThe ability to quickly isolate affected assets during an incident

“The conversation is shifting from simply enabling remote access to governing it,” said Knud Kegel. “Manufacturers do not need less connectivity. They need better governance of that connectivity. Organizations that can limit, monitor, and contain access are often better positioned to reduce operational impact when incidents occur.”

“Ransomware resilience in manufacturing increasingly depends on how organizations govern remote access to OT systems,” added Knud. “Just-in-time vendor access, visibility into remote sessions, and the ability to contain affected assets are becoming foundational cybersecurity controls.”

About Secomea

Secomea is a Secure Remote Access solution purpose-built for industrial networks and OT equipment. More than 8000 manufacturers and machine builders worldwide use Secomea to securely connect people, systems, and machines while maintaining operational continuity and control. By helping organizations govern vendor access, implement zero-trust principles, and improve visibility into OT remote access activities, Secomea supports secure collaboration across the manufacturing ecosystem.

Secomea was recently identified as a Representative Vendor in the CPS Secure Remote Access category in Gartner® Hype Cycle™ for CPS Security, 2026.

GARTNER is a trademark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates.

Gartner does not endorse any company, vendor, product or service depicted in its publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner publications consist of the opinions of Gartner’s business and technology insights organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this publication, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.  

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China Xplained | The China Squeeze, or the China Opportunity?

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22 minutes ago

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September 6, 2026

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GUANGZHOU, China, Sept. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — This is a news report from South: 

Is China’s manufacturing rise squeezing out or creating opportunities for other economies?

Ahead of the 2026 APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in China this November, journalists and experts from around the world gathered in Guangdong for the Asia-Pacific Media Forum (APMF) 2026.

The forum opened in Shenzhen on September 5, bringing together more than 400 representatives from across the Asia-Pacific region, as well as from international organizations.

Before the opening of the forum, participants travelled across Guangdong to see China’s industries and development first-hand.

In this episode of China Xplained, we look at the numbers, supply chains, investment and voices from across the developing world—to ask a bigger question: Is China squeezing out room for other economies?

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/china-xplained–the-china-squeeze-or-the-china-opportunity-302870814.html

SOURCE South

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PUDU D7 Named Honoree in IFA Innovation Awards for Best in IFA Next & Emerging Technologies

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1 hour ago

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September 6, 2026

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BERLIN, Sept. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Pudu Robotics, a global leader in commercial service robotics, today announced that its PUDU D7 Semi-humanoid Intelligent Robot has been named an Honoree in the Best in IFA Next & Emerging Technologies category of the IFA Innovation Awards. The recognition highlights PUDU D7’s ability to combine mobile navigation, dexterous manipulation and intelligent sensing to perform a range of tasks in real-world industrial and commercial environments.

The IFA Innovation Awards recognize outstanding innovations across the global technology landscape. Entries are evaluated by an independent international jury based on criteria including technology and functionality, innovation and originality, and the potential to create tangible value for users and the market. The recognition places PUDU D7 among emerging technologies demonstrating new possibilities for the future of robotics.

From Industrial Operations to Guest Interaction

PUDU D7 is designed for industrial, warehouse, retail and hospitality environments, where it can move through human-oriented spaces and perform tasks that require both mobility and dexterous manipulation.

In industrial and warehouse settings, D7 can handle materials, pick items from shelves, replenish inventory, transport goods between work areas and push carts. With a payload capacity of up to 20 kg (44.1 pounds) and an operating height of up to 2 meters (6.6 feet), it can work with a range of storage systems and materials.

In retail, D7 can support shelf replenishment, item handling and store organization, moving products between storage areas and shelves and helping maintain product displays.

In hotels and hospitality, PUDU D7 can take on the role of an intelligent front-desk host, welcoming guests, preparing and serving coffee, interacting with visitors and providing engaging experiences. Its semi-humanoid form and dual-arm capabilities allow it to combine practical service tasks with natural human-robot interaction, bringing a more personable and engaging presence to the guest experience.

Designed for Adaptable Performance

PUDU D7 combines a dual-arm manipulation system, tactile sensing and a 360-degree perception system to support these applications. Front- and rear-facing LiDAR and other sensors enable navigation around people and obstacles, while tactile sensing provides precise control when handling objects.

The robot also features autonomous battery swapping, allowing it to independently replace its battery and reduce downtime during extended operation.

Together, these capabilities enable D7 to support different tasks across a range of environments without being limited to a single application.

PUDU D7 Makes Its European Debut at IFA

IFA 2026 marks the first time PUDU D7 is being showcased in Europe. At the Pudu Robotics booth, visitors can experience live demonstrations highlighting the robot’s capabilities and its potential for human-robot interaction.

D7 interacts directly with visitors through demonstrations including waving, making heart gestures and picking up objects. These demonstrations showcase the robot’s ability to combine movement, manipulation and interaction in a human-oriented environment.

Advancing the Next Generation of Intelligent Robotics

The IFA Innovation Awards recognition marks another step in Pudu Robotics’ expansion from service delivery, commercial cleaning and industrial delivery into embodied intelligent robotics.

PUDU D7 is part of Pudu Robotics’ broader strategy to develop a portfolio of specialized, semi-humanoid and humanoid robots, building on its capabilities in embodied navigation, manipulation and interaction. This approach enables the company to address a broader range of applications across commercial and industrial environments.

Pudu Robotics will continue working with customers and partners worldwide to explore new applications for embodied intelligence and bring increasingly capable robots into real-world environments.

About Pudu Robotics

Pudu Robotics is a global leader in commercial service robotics and the industry’s first company to offer a full portfolio spanning specialized, semi-humanoid, and humanoid robots. According to Frost & Sullivan’s latest market report, Pudu Robotics ranks No. 1 globally in commercial service robotics by both revenue and shipment volume. Built on its One Brain, Multiple Embodiments architecture, Pudu offers robots for service delivery, commercial cleaning, industrial delivery, and general embodied AI applications across hospitality, retail, healthcare, manufacturing, education, public services, and more. To date, Pudu Robotics has shipped over 130,000 robots to customers across 85+ countries and regions.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/pudu-d7-named-honoree-in-ifa-innovation-awards-for-best-in-ifa-next–emerging-technologies-302870806.html

SOURCE Pudu Robotics

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Asia-Pacific Media Forum held in China’s Guangdong

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1 hour ago

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September 6, 2026

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SHENZHEN, China, Sept. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — A news report from Xinhuanet: 

The Asia-Pacific Media Forum opened on Saturday in Shenzhen, south China’s Guangdong Province, with the theme of “Building a Path to Shared Prosperity for the Asia-Pacific Community: Media Consensus and Action.”

Li Shulei, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, attended the forum and delivered a keynote speech. Huang Kunming, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and secretary of the CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee, attended the forum and delivered a speech.

Participating guests noted that this year marks 2026 APEC “China Year,” during which China will host the 33rd APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting. They expressed their belief that with support from all sides, the summit will yield fruitful outcomes and elevate Asia-Pacific cooperation to new heights.

Participating guests emphasized that development and cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region depend on the active participation of media. The media are expected to share stories of openness and integration, provide comprehensive coverage of the region’s progress and achievements across various fields, and help foster a favorable public opinion environment for the region’s open development.

Participating guests noted that the media should actively promote outcomes of the series of APEC activities, interpret policies and measures of various economies to support scientific and technological innovation, and build regional consensus for innovative development.

They also called for deepening results-oriented cooperation in joint reporting, technological innovation and personnel training, and leveraging media exchanges to carry forward civilizations, spread culture and convey goodwill, so as to enhance mutual understanding and closer bonds among the peoples of the Asia-Pacific.

The forum was co-hosted by the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, Xinhua News Agency and the Guangdong provincial government, and organized by the Shenzhen municipal government.

More than 400 representatives from over 40 countries and regions, as well as UN agencies and international organizations, attended the event. At the opening ceremony, 16 founding organizations from China and abroad jointly formed the Organizing Committee of the Asia-Pacific Media Partnership Program.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/in/news-releases/asia-pacific-media-forum-held-in-chinas-guangdong-302870809.html

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