FuzeHub boosts digital defenses for LI manufacturers

By GREGORY ZELLER //

Nobody is immune from cyber criminals – including regional manufacturers, who have a new opportunity to defend themselves.

FuzeHub, the regional New York Manufacturing Extension Partnership center dedicated to connecting small and mid-sized manufacturing companies to resources and industry expertise, has scheduled a Cybersecurity Forum for Manufacturers, jam-packed with cyber-assessment workshops, the latest U.S. Department of Defense requirements – key for regional defense contractors – and the most cutting-edge trends in cybersecurity.

The forum, scheduled to run from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday at Stony Brook University’s Center of Excellence in Wireless and Information Technology, is designed to help manufacturers understand the risks and strengthen their defenses – critical information with cyberthreats on the rise and “manufacturers locally and nationwide … susceptible to attack,” according to FuzeHub Executive Director Elena Garuc, “especially if they have contracts with the Department of Defense.”

Elena Gurac: Risk is her business.

“New York State has an extensive network of cybersecurity experts ready to answer questions and solve challenges to help companies secure their systems and strengthen their defenses against new and emerging risks,” Gurac added.

And many of those experts will be at the forum. In addition to its partners in the New York MEP – a network of 11 organizations providing innovative business-development services to small and mid-sized manufacturers across the state – FuzeHub has recruited specialists from the MEP National Network, SBU’s Manufacturing and Technology Resource Consortium, Empire State Development Corp.’s NYSTAR division and other organizations to greet and guide participants.

Admission to the Dec. 5 Cybersecurity Forum for Manufacturers is free but pre-registration is required. More information on registration and a complete list of scheduled workshops and speakers is available here.