It’s no secret that there are serious military actions taking place between major players on the global stage. While state-sponsored cyber attacks are nothing new, they always spike when any major conflict erupts. CNC machining companies like Ben Machine that are involved in the manufacturing of defence equipment have a bullseye painted on their network infrastructure as a result.
Cyber security is an ever-present concern for Ben Machine. It has to be. Much of our work involves equipment that winds up on the front lines or providing the lines with information. The technology we manufacture is often classified and would make a nice trophy for bad actors. Gaining access to our data could be quite lucrative in the wrong hands. As such, we are constantly monitoring our network for attack attempts.
Not the Popularity We Were After
Education and research are the top industry for hackers. Government and military are Number Two on that list. Both of those sectors have seen about 20% [SV1] more attacks this year than in 2021. That means our defences have to be that much more robust. As hackers change their games and find new ways to try to access restricted data, we too must continue to adapt.
Controlled Goods Program
We take all of the standard precautions at every stage of our manufacturing process, of course, but due to the sensitive nature of most of our products, Ben Machine has to go further than most to protect the information that drives our CNC machining work. We are members of the Canadian Controlled Goods Program. This program was initiated to control the export of sensitive military equipment. In association with ITAR in the US, it was designed to prevent weapons and defence equipment from being transferred to terrorist organizations and other bad actors.
CGP requires a host of network hardening elements to keep prying eyes out, as well as make sure any breach of security is reported promptly. Program violations carry heavy penalties for members. Compliance requires security checks on employees, visitors, and anyone involved with the production of CNC machined and fabricated pieces. Employees have to go through training for best security practices, and all visitors, student workers, and temporary workers undergo scrutiny as well if they will be exposed to secure information or parts.
Keeping Defences Hardened
Truth be told, our network is probably more secure than that of many larger companies. The components we produce simply require extra protection. You cannot, for example, access a portable drive from any CNC machine or computer in our facilities. No data enters or leaves except through secured channels. This security extends to portable devices; everything gets encrypted.
Aerospace and defence facilities in the US and Canada are among the most lucrative cyber attack targets in the world. A successful breach in the right circumstances could render a multi-billion-dollar program worthless before it’s even built. The technology developed in North America is often decades ahead of other countries, and it’s far faster and cheaper for them to steal it than develop it themselves. At Ben Machine we do our dead-level best to ensure our manufacturing process is theft-proof. We invest heavily in personnel, hardware, and software to maintain the best security available.
Whether you need CNC machining, sheet metal fabrication, assembly, or a whole host of other associated services for your defence manufacturing needs, you can feel comfortable knowing that Ben Machine has your critical data locked down and in control.
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