"This is the way you win the future," said Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel at the DMDII event
The Digital Manufacturing Design and Innovation Institute (DMDII) today announced the launch of a “Cyber Hub for Manufacturing” with $750,000 in seed funding from the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD). The hub will serve as a testbed for the creation and adoption of new cybersecurity technologies to secure manufacturing shop floors across the United States and complements DMDII’s public-private partnership as one of the Manufacturing USA institutes sponsored by DOD to advance digital manufacturing in America.
“The launch of the Cyber Hub for Manufacturing embodies why DMDII exists,” said DMDII Executive Director Thomas McDermott. “We need to think about securing our manufacturing equipment the way we secure our laptops, and the complexity of this issue means our partners will get there much faster by working together.”
The threat of cyberattacks against the manufacturing sector is complex and growing. Manufacturers are connecting more equipment to the internet to compile and analyze data to make better business decisions. With increased connectivity comes a higher likelihood of a breach, and a cyberattack on physical equipment threatens worker safety and the integrity of the products being deployed to users (e.g., a defect in a vehicle component).
“As the manufacturing sector becomes more intertwined with advanced technology, data, and robotics, it is increasingly important that our manufacturers are prepared to face cybersecurity threats,” said Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL). “This new cyber hub will be an extension of DMDII’s innovative work of making America’s manufacturing industry more competitive and secure. I was an early advocate of DMDII, I have fought for a steady stream of federal funding, and I am proud to support DMDII’s focus on cybersecurity.”
