Institute will aim to beat cyberattacks
SANANTONIO —The University of Texas at San Antonio has launched a $111 million research institute whose task is to protect U.S. manufacturers from cyberattacks.
The Cybersecurity Manufacturing Innovation Institute — called CyManII (cy-man-ee) — is UTSA’s latest effort to make its mark in the fast-growing cybersecurity industry.
“CyManII will ensure that the U.S. manufacturing community remains globally competitive for decades to come,” UTSA President Taylor Eighmy said Thursday. “This is a special moment in the history of UTSA.”
Factories increasingly are becoming prime targets for cyberattacks. Manufacturing operations run almost entirely on digital technology, giving criminals a wealth of openings.
The institute’s aim will be to research and address digital vulnerabilities within manufacturing supply chains and automated technologies. It also will focus on ensuring manufacturers are secure as they shift to more energyefficient technology.
UTSA signed a five-year agreement with the Energy Department to lead the institute. The de
partment is providing $70 million in funding for the initiative, and the UT Systemis donating $10million.
The institute’s 59 partners are contributing the other $31 million. They include private companies such as Silicon Valley-based network equipment maker Cisco, the National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) and other nonprofits and universities around the nation.
“Every advancement leaves multiple avenues for bad actors to take advantage of us,” NCMS President and CEO Lisa Strama said. “These are cyber risks. It is this complexity of our manufactured products and processes that has exponentially introduced combinations of cyber threats.”
Smart-sensor technology placed throughout a manufacturer’s supply chain can flag parts shortages or hiccups in production. But each sensor that’s connected to the internet is a potential doorway for hackers into the system.
Once inside, they can steal or manipulate data to cause the making of faulty products or to disrupt the system.
“The advantages to the digitalization of manufacturing are clear, but the challenges are clear as well,” said Daniel Simmons, assistant secretary of the federal Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. “We just have a much greater attack surface for cyberattacks than ever before as we are adding new electronic controls.”
The institute will be located within the National Security Collaboration Center (NSCC) on the UTSA Downtown Campus.
UTSA has sought to leverage the strong military presence in San Antonio, including Security Hill at Joint Base San AntonioLackland, to help develop the city’s burgeoning, highwage cybersecurity industry.
The NSCC, headed by retired Brig. Gen. Guy Walsh, will serve as a research hub for cybersecurity educators and professionals.
Construction of the NSCC’s facility at the Down-
town Campus, where CyManII will be housed, is expected to be completed next year.
This week, the office Simmons leads within the Energy Department released its first-ever multiyear plan for strengthening the country’s cybersecurity.
Over the past two years, the department has focused on addressing cyber threats to the manufacturing industry following the White House’s 2018 report on safeguarding advanced manufacturers from digital attacks.
It highlighted the need to develop more advanced artificial intelligence to detect threats, as well as to improve technology to securely store manufacturing information and strengthen the security of remote devices.
Cy Man II also will collaborate with the Energy Department’s Oak Ridge, Sandia and Idaho national laboratories.
“As U.S. manufacturers increasingly deploy automation tools in their daily work, those technologies must be embedded with powerful cybersecurity protections,” said Howard Grimes, CEO of Cy Man II and an associate vice president at UTSA. “Together, we will share themission to protect the nation’s supply chain, preserve its critical infrastructure and boost its economy.”