Why cybersecurity must be the foundation of the semiconductor industry

By Takanori Nishiyama

The semiconductor industry is at the heart of some Asian states’ economic and technological future, such as Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, and South Korea. With global demand for chips rising and geopolitical tensions affecting supply chains, some states are gearing up in semiconductor manufacturing.

The semiconductor supply chain is deeply interconnected, making it an appealing target for cybercriminals. Attackers aim not only to steal intellectual property but also to disrupt operations that can ripple across global industries. Recent high-profile breaches have shown how damaging these incidents can be, leading to operational downtime, reputational harm, and broader economic instability.

Governments can play a role in a trusted semiconductor sector. For example, the Japanese administration is linking cybersecurity compliance to government subsidies, signaling that strong security is non-negotiable. This encourages manufacturers to see cybersecurity as a strategic asset—critical to innovation, business continuity, and competitive advantage.

Meeting these expectations will require far more than basic firewalls and antivirus tools. Semiconductor companies need a comprehensive approach built on zero-trust principles, strict access controls, identity verification, and real-time monitoring. Cybersecurity must be embedded in daily operations to ensure resilience and readiness across the semiconductor supply chain.

How Keeper Supports the Semiconductor Industry

At Keeper Security, we believe protecting credentials, secrets, and connections is not just a technical necessity but a strategic imperative. As threats involving credential theft, privilege escalation, and lateral movement increase, maintaining control over sensitive accounts and privileged access is vital.

Semiconductor operations face uniquely high risks: a single compromised credential can expose proprietary chip designs, disrupt manufacturing workflows, or compromise national interests. Keeper addresses these risks through a zero-trust, zero-knowledge security platform that includes Privileged Access Management (KeeperPAM) and enterprise password management.

KeeperPAM gives organizations clear visibility into who has access to what. Companies can enforce least-privilege policies, grant access only when needed, and monitor sessions in real time. AI-powered insights help detect and respond to suspicious activity early, while automation reduces human error and minimizes the risk of excessive or stale privileges, especially when managing contractors or third-party vendors.

Meanwhile, Keeper’s enterprise password management ensures employees and contractors manage credentials securely through encrypted vaults. Passwords are generated, stored, and autofilled with phishing-resistant protections, preventing reuse and stopping attackers from exploiting poor password hygiene. Every activity is logged and auditable, supporting compliance and breach response readiness.

With Keeper’s zero-knowledge encryption, only the end user can access their stored data—even Keeper has no access to it. Everything is encrypted and decrypted locally at the device level. This architecture drastically limits the blast radius of any potential breach and aligns with relevant cybersecurity regulations, such as those from the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), the National Center of Incident Readiness and Strategy for Cybersecurity (NISC), and the Act on the Protection of Personal Information (APPI).

Keeper’s platform also secures non-human identities, including API keys, Secure Shell (SSH) credentials, and DevOps secrets. Whether protecting access to Electronic Design Automation (EDA) tools, managing remote workforces, or segmenting Operational Technology (OT) and Information Technology (IT) environments, Keeper enables flexible, policy-driven control without exposing sensitive credentials.

Designed to integrate seamlessly with enterprise systems, including Active Directory, Single Sign-On (SSO), multi-factor authentication (MFA), SIEM tools, and IT service management workflows—Keeper deploys quickly and scales efficiently. It’s an ideal fit for semiconductor companies operating across hybrid cloud and on-premises infrastructure, particularly as they embrace smart manufacturing and Industry 4.0 transformation.

Ultimately, cybersecurity is about trust—among employees, customers, supply chain partners, regulators, and nations. As Asia advances its semiconductor capacity with support from both regional policies and international alliances, maintaining high security standards must go hand in hand with innovation.

Keeper enables organizations to shift from reactive, fragmented security practices to a proactive, unified approach centered on digital resilience. In an industry where innovation is fast-paced and the risks are profound, we help companies move quickly, stay secure, and lead with confidence on the global stage.

The author is the senior vice president for Asia Pacifica and Japan Country Manager of Keeper Security