According to an article posted on Statista late last year, “the manufacturing industry is one of the most targeted sectors of cyber criminals worldwide.”

In 2023, the average cost of a single data breach in the industrial sector worldwide was $4.7M USD.

If the cost of a data breach isn’t enough to encourage manufacturers to implement stronger cybersecurity protocols, the threat to our national security certainly is.

Cyber criminals often sell the sensitive data they steal from U.S. manufacturers to countries like China, Russia, North Korea, and other adversaries who can subsequently use the data to compromise our government and military assets.

Although most companies have Internet Technology (IT) protocols in place to protect against data breaches, with Artificial Intelligence (AI) advancing at warp speed they’re often not robust enough.

That’s why the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) launched the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC 2.0), a unifying standard for the implementation of cybersecurity across the defense industrial base. The CMMC framework ensures that appropriate levels of cybersecurity practices and processes are in place to protect controlled unclassified information on defense contractors’ systems.

Rather than continuing to allow contractors to self-regulate, CMMC 2.0 mandates that a third party must assess contractors’ cybersecurity readiness. To promote compliance, companies who don’t adhere to CMMC 2.0 will no longer be eligible for DoD contracts.

The deadline for compliance to CMMC 2.0 isn’t published yet, but Sirois Tool is already working toward certification. Ensuring we remain compliant with NIST SP 800-171 is our first step.

We’ve been working with TAB Computer Systems of East Hartford, CT to install the necessary software, and we will use Management Systems Improvement (MSI) for our third-party reporting.

Sirois Tool has worked with MSI and TAB for many years, and they, along with some of our key employees, have helped us achieve an industry-leading cybersecurity system. One of our most important customers recently commented that we are “well ahead of most of our competitors on cybersecurity compliance.”

This speaks volumes about the expertise of our employees and the people at MSI and TAB.

We’re encouraging our suppliers within the defense supply chain to elevate their cybersecurity practices to CMMC 2.0, too. When every link in our supply chain is equally protected, we’ll be in the best possible position to defend our companies – and our nation – against cybersecurity attacks.

Not sure where to start? Contact your IT Support/Consultant. Don’t have one? Contact MSI and TAB.

Our customers and country count on our confidentiality, and we will continue to be proactive in protecting it.

Contact Us for more information.