"Network connected" or "conveniently programmable" !== "Internet connected"
It was a rhetorical question. I'm sure the GP knows what the machines are and why they might need some kind of convenient data supply.
Both manufacturers and on-site IT teams have simply gotten cavalier about internet connectivity, network isolation, automatic updates, etc -- convincing themselves that the catastrophic risks that come along with these processes will either not happen to them or will only happen when someone else can be blamed.
It was a rhetorical question. I'm sure the GP knows what the machines are and why they might need some kind of convenient data supply.
Both manufacturers and on-site IT teams have simply gotten cavalier about internet connectivity, network isolation, automatic updates, etc -- convincing themselves that the catastrophic risks that come along with these processes will either not happen to them or will only happen when someone else can be blamed.