Norwich University Applied Research Institutes Ltd

STATE AND LOCAL HOMELAND SECURITY NATIONAL TRAINING PROGRAM

STATE AND LOCAL HOMELAND SECURITY NATIONAL TRAINING PROGRAM

OPERATIONAL TECHNOLOGY ADVANCE CYBER ARCHITECTURE

PURPOSE: NUARI WILL COLLABORATE WITH ACADEMIC AND COMMERCIAL PARTNERS TO DEVISE AN ADVANCED CYBER ARCHITECTURE TAILORED TO ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING OPERATIONAL TECHNOLOGY. THE CYBERSECURITY POSTURE AND CMMC READINESS OF THE REGION?S SMMS DIRECTLY IMPACT NATIONAL ECONOMIC SECURITY, PARTICULARLY CONSIDERING THEIR VITAL ROLE IN THE DEFENSE INDUSTRIAL BASE (DIB). NOTABLY, U.S. DEFENSE SPENDING IN THE REGION AVERAGES 3.1 PERCENT OF THE GDP, EXCEEDING THE NATIONAL AVERAGE OF 2.5 PERCENT IN 2022, 62.2 PERCENT OF DOD SPENDING IN NEW ENGLAND WAS IN CONTRACTS FOR SUPPLIES AND EQUIPMENT (DEFENSE SPENDING BY STATE 2022). THIS UNDERSCORES THE CRITICAL IMPORTANCE OF BOLSTERING CYBERSECURITY RESILIENCE WITHIN THE DIB, WHERE WE HAVE OBSERVED SMMS RESORTING TO THE "PATH OF LEAST RESISTANCE" TO MEET SPECIFIC CONTROL REQUIREMENTS. ONE PREVALENT STRATEGY AMONG OUR STRATEGIC PARTNERS INVOLVES AIR-GAPPING EQUIPMENT FOR HANDLING CONTROLLED UNCLASSIFIED INFORMATION (CUI) AS A COST-EFFECTIVE MEANS TO ACHIEVE COMPLIANCE WITH CMMC CONTROLS OR THE NIST 800-171 AND OTHER APPLICABLE FRAMEWORKS. ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED: NUARI WILL DEVELOP AN ADVANCED CYBERSECURITY ARCHITECTURE TO FORTIFY THE SECURITY OF SMALL-MEDIUM MANUFACTURERS' INDUSTRIAL CONTROL SYSTEMS, RECOGNIZING THEIR SUSCEPTIBILITY TO CYBER-ATTACKS. THIS INITIATIVE AIMS TO PREEMPTIVELY DETECT VULNERABILITIES AND POTENTIAL THREATS BEFORE THEY IMPACT THE PHYSICAL MANUFACTURING PROCESS. THE CYBER ARCHITECTURE WILL OPERATE ALONGSIDE EXISTING CONTROL SYSTEMS, MODELING CONTROL COMMANDS AND VIRTUALLY REPLICATING THE PHYSICAL PROCESSES THEY OVERSEE, ENABLING PREDICTIVE MEASURES AGAINST SYSTEM-CONTROLLED ATTACKS. THIS PROPOSED ARCHITECTURE WILL OFFER A ROBUST DEFENSE MECHANISM TAILORED TO THE NEEDS OF SMMS. NUARI WILL UTILIZE CONGRESSIONAL FUNDING TO CONDUCT COMPREHENSIVE RESEARCH, ENGINEERING, TESTING, AND PROTOTYPING OF THIS ADVANCED CYBER ARCHITECTURE IN COLLABORATION WITH INDUSTRY, STUDENTS, FACULTY, AND RESEARCHERS.EXPECTED OUTCOMES: DEVELOP A FRAMEWORK FOR ACCESSING AND ANALYZING OPERATIONAL DATA FROM OT DEVICES, SPECIFICALLY TARGETING ADDITIVE TECHNOLOGY, IN NEAR REAL-TIME. ENHANCE CYBERATTACK DETECTION CAPABILITIES WITHIN MANUFACTURING ENVIRONMENTS BY LEVERAGING OPERATIONAL DATA TO IDENTIFY SUBTLE ANOMALIES INDICATIVE OF CYBER THREATS. IMPLEMENT SECURE MECHANISMS FOR ACCESSING AND ANALYZING OPERATIONAL DATA TO MITIGATE POTENTIAL RISKS TO PROCESS PERFORMANCE AND SAFETY. DESIGN AND IMPLEMENT INNOVATIVE CYBERSECURITY STRATEGIES THAT ENABLE DEEP VISIBILITY INTO OT ENVIRONMENTS WITHOUT COMPROMISING OPERATIONAL INTEGRITY. VALIDATE THE EFFECTIVENESS AND FEASIBILITY OF THE DEVELOPED ARCHITECTURE THROUGH RIGOROUS TESTING AND EVALUATION IN SIMULATED AND REAL-WORLD MANUFACTURING ENVIRONMENTS. PROVIDE ACTIONABLE INSIGHTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR OPTIMIZING CYBERSECURITY MEASURES IN OT ENVIRONMENTS BASED ON THE PROJECT FINDINGS. FOSTER KNOWLEDGE SHARING AND COLLABORATION AMONG CYBERSECURITY PROFESSIONALS AND INDUSTRY STAKEHOLDERS TO PROMOTE ADOPTING BEST PRACTICES AND STANDARDS IN OT CYBERSECURITY. CONTRIBUTE TO ADVANCING CYBERSECURITY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT IN OT ENVIRONMENTS, POSITIONING THE PROJECT AS A PIONEERING EFFORT IN SAFEGUARDING CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE AGAINST CYBER THREATS. INTENDED BENEFICIARIES: NUARI'S OPERATIONAL TECHNOLOGY ADVANCED CYBER ARCHITECTURE INITIATIVE PERFECTLY ALIGNS WITH NIST'S MISSION TO ENHANCE U.S. INNOVATION AND INDUSTRIAL COMPETITIVENESS. FOCUSED ON ADDRESSING THE SPECIFIC CHALLENGES SMMS, PARTICULARLY IN ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, THE PROJECT AIMS TO ADVANCE CYBERSECURITY RESEARCH AND FORTIFY INDUSTRIAL CONTROL SYSTEMS. BY TAILORING CYBERSECURITY SOLUTIONS TO THE NEEDS OF SMMS, NUARI EMPOWERS THESE BUSINESSES TO THRIVE IN A RAPIDLY EVOLVING LANDSCAPE, FOSTERING ECONOMIC SECURITY AND INNOVATION. THE INITIATIVE ACCELERATES THE ADOPTION OF ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS, SUPPORTING THE GROWTH OF DOMESTIC MANUFACTURING AND BOLSTERING COMPETITIVENESS IN THE SECTOR.SUBRE

PROTOTYPING OF A BUSINESS PROCESS MODEL OF THE FINANCE SECTOR

NUARI TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION AND CYBER RESILIENCE SYMPOSIUM

STATE AND LOCAL HOMELAND SECURITY NATIONAL TRAINING PROGRAM