The National Center for Cybersecurity in Manufacturing

The National Center for Cybersecurity in Manufacturing

About Cybersecurity

What do U.S. manufacturers need to secure the factory environment? And how are those tools deployed inside small and medium-sized manufacturers, many of which don’t even have IT departments? One thing that makes cybersecurity so challenging for manufacturers is that companies are only as strong as the weakest link in their supply chains. As organizations digitize and become more interconnected, they must be constantly vigilant with not only their own security practices but also with those of their suppliers.
The National Center for Cybersecurity in Manufacturing featured image

What Is Cybersecurity?

Cybersecurity is protecting Internet-connected systems. As manufacturing goes digital, the attack surface only expands. According the 2018 Verizon data breach investigation report, 86% of cyberattacks in the sector are targeted rather than opportunistic, and nearly half are thefts of intellectual property, undertaken to gain a competitive advantage.

The National Center for Cybersecurity in Manufacturing featured image

What Does MxD Do?

The National Center for Cybersecurity in Manufacturing does three things. First, it uses its factory floor as a demonstration area for existing cybersecurity technology. Second, it works to develop new tools to address very specific pain points for manufacturers. And third, it is working with industry and government to figure out how to get these tools to small and medium-sized manufacturers. Most of these companies do not even have in-house tech support, let alone cybersecurity expertise.

Testimonials

“The software supply chain is the new skeleton-key of today’s cyber criminal. Why bother trying to brute force through the corporate firewall when you can trick trusted staff into loading malicious software on the plant floor device?” 

Eric Byres
Eric Byres

P.Eng, ISA Fellow, CEO, aDolus Inc.

“The philosophy in manufacturing has been if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it.  But production environments are often riddled with older equipment running unpatched firmware and operating systems. The associated vulnerabilities open doors and pathways to bad actors for exploits.”

Kurt Schiller
Kurt Schiller

Vice President of Business Development, Verve Industrial Protection

“A lot of small and medium-sized companies don’t see themselves as potential targets. ‘I’m a five-person shop, why would anybody care about me?’ But maybe the bad guy doesn’t see you as a target, just as a conduit to get to his intended target. That often gets lost in the mindset.” 

Akin Akinbosoye
Akin Akinbosoye

Director, Cybersecurity, MxD

“Cybersecurity affects everyone, from companies making fighter aircraft to consumers ordering from Amazon. Anytime you touch the Internet, you’re vulnerable. Cybersecurity breaches hurt innovation, hurt productivity, and cost money.”

Al Hufstetler
Al Hufstetler

Vice President, ECS Siemens software

Facts & Figures

Tap the square to reveal the answer

Facts & Figures

How big is the cybersecurity skills gap?

Facts & Figures

According to the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education, the U.S. faced a shortfall of 314,000 cybersecurity professionals in January 2019. To put this in context, the country’s total cybersecurity workforce is just 716,000.

Facts & Figures

Are there easy ways to prevent cyber-attacks?

Facts & Figures

Yes. Regular patching. A Trustwave survey of 127 mid-size to large manufacturers found only one-third patch their IoT devices within 24 hours of a fix becoming available.

Facts & Figures

What percentage of U.S. manufacturers are small and medium-sized businesses?

Facts & Figures

More than 98% have fewer than 500 employees, according to a 2016 National Association of Manufacturers report.

Facts & Figures

What do manufacturers say is the top barrier to IoT adoption?

Facts & Figures

Security concerns, according to this Trustwave survey.

More Success Stories

1.

Cybersecurity in Supply Chain for DoD

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2.

Attacking the U.S. Cybersecurity Gap

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3.

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Jobs Taxonomy: Defining the Jobs of the Future

In 2017, MxD (under its previous name, DMDII) and ManpowerGroup released a digital workforce taxonomy, a groundbreaking analysis that identified 165 new data-centric manufacturing jobs—roles like “collaborative robotics technician” and “predictive maintenance systems specialist.” 

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