Four New York State companies won cybersecurity assessments at last week’s Cybersecurity Forum for Manufacturers at Stony Brook University on Long Island. American Pride Fasteners, COMCO Plastics, Great Notch Precision Machining, and Sensitron Semiconductor each won a $5,000 cybersecurity assessment during a business-card drawing. The winners were among over 80 registrants for the December 5, 2019 event, which also featured expert speakers, a panel discussion, and a cybersecurity workshop.
The Cybersecurity Forum for Manufacturers was powered by FuzeHub, New York State’s statewide Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Center, in partnership with the Advanced Institute for Manufacturing (AIM), the Manufacturing and Technology Resource Consortium (MTRC), the MEP National Network, the MilTech Program at Montana State University, and Empire State Development’s Division of Science, Technology and Innovation (NYSTAR).
The event began with remarks by FuzeHub’s Everton H. Henriques, NY MEP Solutions Director and the Master of Ceremonies. Imin Kao, Ph.D., Executive Director at MTRC, and Cynthia Colón, Program Manager at MTRC (the event’s hosts) along with Cory Albrecht of AIM, welcomed attendees. Patricia R. Toth, Cybersecurity Program Manager at NIST MEP, provided the keynote address. Jake Mihevc, Dean of Cybersecurity at Mohawk Valley Community College, and Paul LaPorte, Cybersecurity Coordinator at AIM, also offered expert insights.
The panel discussion was moderated by FuzeHub’s Steve Melito, Solutions Specialist, and featured the three speakers; plus Cory Albrecht, Director at AIM; FuzeHub’s Everton H. Henriques; Devi Momot, CEO at Twinstate Technologies; Joe Spinosa, Co-Owner and Vice President of Business Development at East / West Industries; and Alexis Wilson, Marketing Coordinator and Cybersecurity Project Advisor at the Manufacturing Technology and Enterprise Center (MTEC). A lively discussion was followed by the drawing for four cyber grants.
To win a cybersecurity assessment grant, participants needed to register for the Cybersecurity Forum for Manufacturers and be present during the business-card drawing. Moreover, only New York State companies with a valid manufacturing NAICS code were eligible to win. The contest was open to registered manufacturers from anywhere in New York State, but three of the four winners were from Long Island and the other from the Hudson Valley Region. Each of these companies is part of the defense supply chain.
American Pride Fasteners of Baywood specializes in the engineering and manufacture of miniature screws and miniature fasteners. COMCO Plastics of Huntington Station offers high-quality, precision-machined and fabricated plastics for high-performance applications. Great Notch Precision Machining of Hillburn uses advanced machining tools to achieve precision down to the millionth of a fraction. Sensitron Semiconductor of Happague has clean rooms for wafer fabrication and microelectronics manufacturing.
After the business-card drawing, AIM’s Paul LaPorte led a NIST SP 800-171 workshop and explained what manufacturers need to know about key parts of this cybersecurity publication. A lunch-time networking session provided additional opportunities for learning. The Cybersecurity Forum for Manufacturers was FuzeHub’s final event for 2019, but New York State’s statewide MEP Center is planning a full calendar for 2020. Keep checking your email inbox for updates and ask your colleagues to join FuzeHub’s mailing list.
