Dive Brief:
- An Illinois manufacturing group is working to improve small- to medium-sized businesses’ readiness against cyber attacks with a new funding program.
- The Cyber-Safe Incentive program will offer up to $25,000 to manufacturers to reimburse costs related to cybersecurity implementation and monitoring, such as contractual services and software and hardware integration.
- Launched by the Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center, the program aims to break down barriers for companies to improve cyber readiness. “Implementing the process with needed components carries a price tag and we know that can be a barrier for some manufacturers to do everything they need to be safe,” David Boulay, president of the center, said in a statement.
Dive Insight:
The Cyber-Safe Incentive Program will offer funding for up to 50 companies, as more manufacturers digitize their operations and need the cybersecurity infrastructure to match.
“Manufacturing has gone digital,” Boulay said. “Cyber threats are a real business risk. It is more than just having a computer virus. It is the risk of production shutdowns and hacked sensitive data.”
The Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center works with Illinois-based manufacturers on critical business improvements and is part of The National Institute for Standards and Technology’s Manufacturing Extension Partnership network.
While cybersecurity has emerged as a vital component of manufacturing operations in recent years, many companies still lack the proper infrastructure. Forty-eight percent of critical U.S. manufacturers received a SecurityScorecard rating of “C” or below for cyber resilience, according to a World Economic Forum report last month.
One factor contributing to this problem is the rising level of automation in manufacturing. A company's level of vulnerability to a cyber attack depends on how secure the connection is between their digitally connected devices and equipment.
Smaller businesses in particular are falling behind on their paths toward enduring cyber defenses “due to a combination of costs and know-how,” according to the release
Grants will be awarded to Illinois-based manufacturers employing five to 250 employees, per the release. Recipients must provide a documented gap assessment on their cybersecurity capabilities using NIST or Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification guidelines.
Applications for the program are open until March 31, with expenses incurred between October 2022 and May 2023 eligible for up to 50% reimbursement.
“The Cyber-Safe Incentive Program can play a vital role in making sure [manufacturers] have access to the solutions they need to stay secure,” Boulay said.
