If you run industrial operations in the European Union (EU)—or build the technology they rely on—then cybersecurity is becoming your baseline for how connected products are designed and deployed.
To establish mandatory cybersecurity requirements for products with digital elements, the EU developed the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) in 2024; major milestones for complying with these requirements are coming due in 2026 and 2027.
CRA is redefining what’s acceptable for operators and asset owners to put into service as they modernize and expand connected operations.
How CRA obligations impact product purchasing and deployment
CRA compliance obligations fall first on the manufacturers placing products with digital elements for sale on the EU market. They’re responsible for meeting the requirements put forth by the CRA, regardless of where they’re headquartered.
But day-to-day impact will land on operators and asset owners; they’ll be tasked with making sure the products they purchase are CRA-ready. This will change how procurement requirements are established, lifecycle expectations are planned and vendor conversations about vulnerabilities and updates are managed.
For instance, CRA will make it easier to press manufacturers for clear answers about:
- Critical vulnerability response
- Availability of security updates
- How products are secure by design
These requirements are also relevant for OEMs and machine builders whose equipment is placed on the EU market.
How CRA compliance fits into the EU cybersecurity landscape
Industrial security and operations teams are already familiar with regulations like NIS2, CER and sector-specific guidelines. Think of CRA as complementary to these requirements, raising the security bar for the products that keep industry operations running. It standardizes how these products are designed, documented, assessed and maintained.
CRA is broad by design, meant to apply to products involving software or digital logic in some form. In industrial environments, this often includes:
- Firewalls and intrusion detection/prevention systems
- Routers, modems and switches
- Network management systems
- Operating systems
CRA-ready products are also part of the CE marking system. The symbol signals that a product meets safety and electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) requirements as well as CRA cybersecurity expectations. It’s the marking that national market-surveillance authorities in each EU member state will look for when investigating and enforcing CRA compliance.
Products are secure by design: here’s what that means
CRA requires products to ship with secure configurations that reduce common attack paths and discourage unsafe deployment. It makes foundational security controls expectations instead of premium features. This means fewer risky default settings, less configuration guesswork and a higher level of protection overall.
It will change what owners and operators can expect from manufacturers in terms of product design, vulnerability management and lifecycle support, affecting how safely and sustainably connected operations can be managed.
Predictable vulnerability handling from manufacturers
CRA places responsibility on the manufacturer to identify and remediate vulnerabilities across the product lifecycle—and then communicate about impact and remediation. For industrial security and operations teams, this should reduce guesswork during incidents. Impact statements, mitigation guidance and patch availability will follow a consistent process.
Clear communication about product support periods
Manufacturers will need to communicate to owners and operators about what “support” means, how long security updates will be delivered to the products they purchase and how those updates will be applied. This forces clear product lifecycle planning for better end-of-support decisions, especially in industrial markets where equipment is deployed for years or decades.
Better documentation to support secure deployment and operation
Documentation is part of CRA compliance. Manufacturers should maintain internal technical files that demonstrate to owners and operators how security requirements are met. Those files should also provide guidance to owners and operators on how to support secure installation and long-term operation.
Belden builds CRA-ready products
CRA will reshape expectations for industrial networking and automation equipment. Cybersecurity will become a nonnegotiable attribute of products with digital elements.
As a manufacturer with a reputation for prioritizing security during product development, Belden delivers secure industrial networking products and long-term lifecycle support so they can be integrated confidently into your security programs.
By combining IEC 62443-4-1-based secure development, global process harmonization and a long-term maintenance mindset, Belden aims to support you as you navigate CRA.
For a more detailed explanation of CRA obligations and advice on turning requirements into an actionable plan, download our guide: Navigating the Cyber Resilience Act: What manufacturers, operators and asset owners need to know.