Cybersecurity in The Manufacturing Industry

Brian Berger, President of Cytellix Corporation • January 20, 2021

Our whole world is relying more and more heavily on the internet and other digital platforms. While this has certainly made life easier and more convenient, it's also created a whole new area of crime: cybercrime. Specific industries are more at risk than others simply due to the nature of the work. As manufacturing becomes more data-driven and proprietary information is leveraged, it's also becoming a larger target for cybercriminals. For an industry that wasn't prepared for the influx of attacks, manufacturing had to adapt quickly and has become a significant risk to US competitiveness. Luckily, there are plenty of cybersecurity options that can save the day.


Our whole world is relying more and more heavily on the internet and other digital platforms. While this has certainly made life easier and more convenient, it's also created a whole new area of crime: cybercrime. Specific industries are more at risk than others simply due to the nature of the work. As manufacturing becomes more data-driven and proprietary information is leveraged, it's also becoming a larger target for cybercriminals. For an industry that wasn't prepared for the influx of attacks, manufacturing had to adapt quickly and has become a significant risk to US competitiveness. Luckily, there are plenty of cybersecurity options that can save the day.

 

Why is Manufacturing Under Attack?

As we mentioned, manufacturing is relying more heavily on data than it ever has before. According to the United States Department of Homeland Security, based on the number of reported cyber-attacks, the manufacturing industry is the second most frequently targeted industry in the United States. You may be shocked to hear this, but it does make quite a bit of sense. Since the industry is relatively new to data and digital reliance, they have less cyber professionals thus their processes are weaker. Hackers and cybercriminals will look for any kind of weakness to make their lives easier. Until the industry makes cyber part of their business and technology process, they could be easy targets. It's important to note that smaller manufacturers are more at risk than larger ones. Smaller firms have lower budgets and are typically easier to attack and can be used as a stepping stone to larger companies who they supply. Small manufacturers tend to work with or be affiliated with larger manufacturers, so cybercriminals see an opportunity to steal data from both parties. Smaller companies often feel that they're safe from hackers because they "aren't worth it," when in reality, they're usually the first targets. In any case, the information used by the manufacturing organizations is typically proprietary in nature, and that information in the hands of its competitors or adversaries can impact the future revenues and cause irreparable damage. 

 

Information that is considered confidential comes in many forms. Specially in manufacturing, there are more than 365k companies that support the USA Supply Chain for defense of the nation. The information these companies hold is called Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI). In addition to CUI is the process and Intellectual Property (IP) developed by the Supply Chain. Collectively, this information is the primary target of the attackers. Manufacturers must protect both CUI and IP.

 

How Can You Protect Your Business?

So, how can you protect your manufacturing business from cybercrime? The best course of action is to hire a team of experts in cybersecurity (like Cytellix), to come and evaluate your current situation. We will take a look at your weaknesses and identify any existing threats. From there, we can look at what you use for security, protection, policies, procedures, data, cloud storage, the IoT, and more, and build an affordable and appropriate package with all the services specific to your organization. It's best to make changes now because most manufacturing companies are regulated for cybersecurity such as CMMC which will be mandatory for all 365k supply chain manufacturers by 2026. In addition, NIST 800-171 guidelines must be adhered to. If your company is in a state that has implemented data protection requirements such as CCPA in California, or you do business with European Union Citizens under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) or you follow ISO (ISO 27001), then a cybersecurity framework based cyber program should be on your agenda. Cytellix will be able to get you in top shape for CMMC, NIST, GDPR, and ISO preparation for audit and certification when the time comes. It's far easier (and more cost-effective) to prepare now, rather than wait until the mandates have already been made. We offer a unique all-in-one platform that allows clients to understand their cyber weaknesses and monitor cyber-attacks in real-time with everything in one place. You can even integrate our Cytellix Cybersecurity Watch Portal with other tools you may already own to immediately implement solutions! Together, we can keep your manufacturing business safe from cybercriminals. 

 

If you are in the manufacturing industry, the time is now to prepare for stricter data protection regulations. If you make it known right away that you don't make it easy for hackers to get into your systems, you protect yourself from future attacks. You can also use your superior cybersecurity to gain the trust of customers and increase your revenue. Cytellix has worked with hundreds of manufacturing brands in the past, and we can help you too! Call (949) 215-8889 to speak to our team and get started. Visit www.cytellix.com for more information.


 Cytellix has expert capabilities in cybersecurity technology, risk management frameworks (RMF, NIST, CMMC, GDPR, FFIEC, ISO) and provides a complete visibility platform that supports: DoD customers, DIB Customers, DoD Supply Chain, and other highly regulated industries (Finance, Automotive, Utilities, State and Local Government). Our technology stack includes Automated Cyber Assessment, SIEM as Service, 24x7 SOC, Vulnerability Management, Real-time continuous cyber monitoring, Firewall Management, and threat hunting and threat correlation.
 
 Want to learn more? Contact one of our talented team members here today.

 

 

As we mentioned, manufacturing is relying more heavily on data than it ever has before. According to the United States Department of Homeland Security, based on the number of reported cyber-attacks, the manufacturing industry is the second most frequently targeted industry in the United States. You may be shocked to hear this, but it does make quite a bit of sense. Since the industry is relatively new to data and digital reliance, they have less cyber professionals thus their processes are weaker. Hackers and cybercriminals will look for any kind of weakness to make their lives easier. Until the industry makes cyber part of their business and technology process, they could be easy targets. It's important to note that smaller manufacturers are more at risk than larger ones. Smaller firms have lower budgets and are typically easier to attack and can be used as a stepping stone to larger companies who they supply. Small manufacturers tend to work with or be affiliated with larger manufacturers, so cybercriminals see an opportunity to steal data from both parties. Smaller companies often feel that they're safe from hackers because they "aren't worth it," when in reality, they're usually the first targets. In any case, the information used by the manufacturing organizations is typically proprietary in nature, and that information in the hands of its competitors or adversaries can impact the future revenues and cause irreparable damage. 

 

Information that is considered confidential comes in many forms. Specially in manufacturing, there are more than 365k companies that support the USA Supply Chain for defense of the nation. The information these companies hold is called Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI). In addition to CUI is the process and Intellectual Property (IP) developed by the Supply Chain. Collectively, this information is the primary target of the attackers. Manufacturers must protect both CUI and IP.

 

How Can You Protect Your Business?

So, how can you protect your manufacturing business from cybercrime? The best course of action is to hire a team of experts in cybersecurity (like Cytellix), to come and evaluate your current situation. We will take a look at your weaknesses and identify any existing threats. From there, we can look at what you use for security, protection, policies, procedures, data, cloud storage, the IoT, and more, and build an affordable and appropriate package with all the services specific to your organization. It's best to make changes now because most manufacturing companies are regulated for cybersecurity such as CMMC which will be mandatory for all 365k supply chain manufacturers by 2026. In addition, NIST 800-171 guidelines must be adhered to. If your company is in a state that has implemented data protection requirements such as CCPA in California, or you do business with European Union Citizens under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) or you follow ISO (ISO 27001), then a cybersecurity framework based cyber program should be on your agenda. Cytellix will be able to get you in top shape for CMMC, NIST, GDPR, and ISO preparation for audit and certification when the time comes. It's far easier (and more cost-effective) to prepare now, rather than wait until the mandates have already been made. We offer a unique all-in-one platform that allows clients to understand their cyber weaknesses and monitor cyber-attacks in real-time with everything in one place. You can even integrate our Cytellix Cybersecurity Watch Portal with other tools you may already own to immediately implement solutions! Together, we can keep your manufacturing business safe from cybercriminals. 

 

If you are in the manufacturing industry, the time is now to prepare for stricter data protection regulations. If you make it known right away that you don't make it easy for hackers to get into your systems, you protect yourself from future attacks. You can also use your superior cybersecurity to gain the trust of customers and increase your revenue. Cytellix has worked with hundreds of manufacturing brands in the past, and we can help you too! Call (949) 215-8889 to speak to our team and get started. Visit www.cytellix.com for more information. 

Cytellix has expert capabilities in cybersecurity technology, risk management frameworks (RMF, NIST, CMMC, GDPR, FFIEC, ISO) and provides a complete visibilityplatform that supports: DoD customers, DIB Customers, DoD Supply Chain, and other highly regulated industries (Finance, Automotive, Utilities, State and Local Government). Our technology stack includes Automated Cyber Assessment, SIEM as Service, 24x7 SOC, Vulnerability Management, Real-time continuous cyber monitoring, Firewall Management, and threat hunting and threat correlation.
 
Want to learn more? Contact one of our talented team members here today.

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The Clock is Ticking for CMMC 2.0: Here’s Everything You Need to Know – START NOW

By Brian Berger • August 23, 2023
The Department of Defense (DoD) has formally presented the CMMC regulation for official evaluation, marking the start of its journey toward formal announcement. Every regulation proposed by the executive branch, including this one, undergoes scrutiny by OIRA, a division of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The significance of this step is that the previously mentioned "delays" in the CMMC process were due to the time taken for the DoD to forward the rule to OIRA. With this action now taken, the subsequent stages of the rulemaking procedure are underway. Nevertheless, due to the intricate nature of federal rulemaking, several more stages need to be navigated before the CMMC becomes a part of contracts. The following scenarios should be considered for preparation for compliance and certification for the Defense Industrial Base (DIB). Scenario 1: Proposed Rule Submission to OIRA: The Department of Defense (DoD) has officially submitted the CMMC rule for regulatory review to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA). Review and Publication: After OIRA's review, which takes an average of 66 business days, the CMMC rule is expected to be published in late October 2023. Public Comment Period: A standard 60-day public comment period will follow, ending in December 2023. Finalization: The CMMC rule will be published as a "proposed rule", which means it will only become effective after the agency responds to public comments in a final rule. Based on historical data, the average time for DoD proposed rules to be published as final rules is 333 business days. This means the CMMC final rule is expected between February and April 2025 . Phased Roll-Out: The DoD plans a 3-year phased roll-out for CMMC contract clauses. Assuming the final rule is published in Q1 2025, all relevant DoD contracts will contain CMMC by 2028. Scenario 2: Interim Final Rule Immediate Effectiveness : If the CMMC rule is published as an "interim final rule", it will be effective before the agency responds to public comments . This means the rule would be in effect and appear in contracts in Q1 2024 . Rarity of Interim Final Rules: Such rules are rare and bypass the usual democratic process of "notice and comment" rulemaking. They are typically granted in urgent situations, like the need to enhance national security. So when should you start preparing? Before we start with the background and changes, let’s talk about the "Big Elephant” in the room. Clearly, the updated compliance and certification process developed by the DoD and the non-profit organization liaisons has been long overdue with a lot of anticipated deadlines that never materialized. And with the latest announcements it does seem to be mildly reminiscent of the movie comedy and colloquial meaning of Groundhog Day. Since the Library of Congress selected the film for preservation in the National Film Registry I found humor in relativity, not cynicism. Opinion: This is different and the information we have in the DoD supply chain must be protected from our adversaries. This is a serious issue and needs clear and precise guidelines as the supply chain will not spend money on the protection of the information that protects national security unless they must as it is deemed as a complex undertaking. That’s an unfortunate reality. We have seen the start and restart of the cyber programs for DoD for the past 5-years, what makes this different? The implementation of the CMMC rule in contracts will be phased in over a period of 3 years, with all relevant DoD Defense Industrial Base (DIB) contracts containing CMMC by 2028. For a company with 50-100 employees operating in the DoD supply chain, it takes an average of 12-18 months to prepare for assessment and audit for eventual certification, with certification being the ultimate requirement for compliance. Therefore, the time is now to start the process if you plan to hold government contracts in 2024/2025. There are also varied flow down requirements that need to also be taken into consideration. Understanding Plan of Action and Milestones (POAM) There is now the ability to present interim status vs 100% compliance as we have with the current DFARS and NIST requirements. These interim reports can be handled in the traditional manner by presenting a Plan of Action and Milestones (POAM) that have a less than 180-day completion date for allowed baseline gaps. Unallowed gaps will have a “No POAM” designation and need to be implemented. If you have any doubts, work with a highly skilled 3 rd party who has expertise in these standards and a track record of enabling comprehensive successful standards-based cyber programs. The information presented by the suppliers in POAM’s or claiming 100% compliance will be evaluated and can and will likely trigger audits if certain high-level cyber controls are not met or the 100% compliance score creates suspicion of a false claim. Be careful to present accurate and validated information. So, what does this all mean? You must be compliant with DFARS clause 252.204.7012 and NIST 800-171 today. This is a requirement of your current contracts, and the False Claims Act applies to all cyber compliance representations. If you are not compliant, you could be subject to civil penalties and criminal charges. You need to start preparing for CMMC 2.0 today. The deadline for the final rule is 18 months from now, and it will take an average company in the DoD supply chain 12-18 months to become assessment ready. Waiting is not an option. Waiting is a bad idea. Why you ask? It is very clear that most suppliers and Small and Medium Businesses are not cyber ready and nowhere near compliant with any cyber framework. The timeframe for a typical business to understand, develop and implement full compliance is more than 1-year assuming they have the skills and personnel to complete the objectives. CMMC 2.0 clearly aligns with DFARS and NIST, so it is the best way to protect your organization's sensitive data. Don't delay, start preparing today! *If you have any questions, please reach out to our experts – [email protected]