2021

Tech in Industry Report

Cybersecurity
Executive Summary

Mitigating Cyber Risk in a Connected Industry

by
David Schippers, Sc.D.
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Introduction & Summary

Industry 4.0 is driving convergence, or blending of traditionally separate and disparate technologies, approaches and disciplines, to enable new capabilities, hybrid disciplines, approaches and opportunities.

Summary

The Industry 4.0 environment brings new sensors, networked devices and digital components to the manufacturing process at unprecedented levels (Barrios, Schippers, Heiden & Pappas, 2019). Industry 4.0 is driving convergence, or blending of traditionally separate and disparate technologies, approaches and disciplines, to enable new capabilities, hybrid disciplines, approaches and opportunities (Schippers, Forsythe, Simko & Pappas, 2020). A critical component of Industry 4.0 is connectivity – driving capabilities, opportunities and threats.Connectivity is the enabler of digital transformation for manufacturing, but it is also an enabler of cyber risk. Cyber (cybersecurity) risk is potential loss or exposure of digital/physical assets/devices, originating from an organization’s cybersecurity approach, also referred to as cyber risk mitigation or cyber hygiene (Schippers, Simko, Richards, 2020). As manufacturers eye new capabilities and benefits, cyber risk mitigation will be the deciding factor for the winners and losers within the Industry 4.0 evolutionary landscape.  

David Schippers, Sc.D.
David Schippers, Sc.D.
Assistant Professor, Chair, IT/Decision Sciences, Walsh College

Dr. David Schippers brings decades of industry experience in information technology, cybersecurity, and project management for large core system designs, quality assurance testing and system implementations, impacting regional, national and international business operations nearing a billion dollars. Dave earned his Doctorate of Science in Cybersecurity from Capitol Technology University. Dave’s doctoral research focused on source device authentication, assessing engineering and forensic authentication techniques. He earned his MS in Information Systems Management and his undergraduate degree in Information Security and Intelligence with a concentration in digital forensics from Ferris State University. Additionally, Dave has earned multiple industry certifications, including the CISSP and EnCE, and holds a professional investigator license in Michigan.