Cyberhealth trials available for small, medium-size manufacturers

Michigan nonprofit and knowledge center Automation Alley is offering small- and medium-size manufacturers a chance to participate in its Cybersecurity Research Project for free.

Manufacturers who want to better understand their vulnerability to cyberattacks can take a 40-question survey called the SensCy assessment that provides participants with a score and a one-page report.

The assessment opportunity is part of research being conducted by the Oakland University Center for Cybersecurity, which is a partnership with Automation Alley and is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Cybersecurity.

“As small and medium-size manufacturers face unprecedented cybersecurity risks, it’s essential for these companies to be aware of their cyberhealth score and ways to potentially lower their risk,” said Tom Kelly, executive director and CEO of Automation Alley. “This evaluation will help companies understand the risk to their brand, people and supply chain posed by cyberattacks and help identify ways to improve cybersecurity policies and practices.”

SensCy based its assessment process on the National Institute of Standards and Technology cybersecurity framework. The cyber evaluation is a 30-minute process conducted by a professional from SensCy. It takes the responses from the questions and analyzes more than 100 data points to provide a trackable measurement of an organization’s cyberhealth. The SensCy Score is on a 1,000-point scale and companies should strive for a score higher than 800. Factors that may affect the score include cybersecurity policies, cyber awareness, and ability to detect and respond to cyber incidents.

"SensCy is proud to take part in this initiative and offer manufacturers the opportunity to take the first step toward advancing cybersecurity and safeguarding digital operations in their industry,” said Rick Snyder, SensCy CEO. “I encourage all Michigan manufacturers to sign up to participate by filling out the signup form on Automation Alley’s website."

Those who participate will receive a one-page summary of their organization’s evaluation, which includes the score and applicable recommendations to increase the score. Companies interested in participating can schedule their meeting by filling out the form on Automation Alley’s website. The evaluation is provided at no cost to the participants, with no preparation required.

The opportunity to participate in the SensCy cybersecurity evaluation is one of the first initiatives launched by the Oakland University Cybersecurity Center. Automation Alley was awarded $2 million from the DOE’s Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security and Emergency Response in June to create the cybersecurity center. Through partnerships with Oakland University, Fraunhofer USA, GRIMM Cyber and SensCy, the team focuses on R&D and insights to reduce the risk of power disruption from a cyber-incident for energy delivery systems, as well as education that enables cybersecurity by design in the energy sector.