Nilanjan Banerjee, professor of computer science and electrical engineering (Marlayna Demond '11/UMBC

UMBC researchers designed the Cybersecurity for Manufacturing Operational Technology (CyMOT) program to help manufacturing professionals grow their cybersecurity skills, protecting the sector from cyber threats and increasing their career opportunities. Now, the program has received significant additional funding to expand its impact. 

The CyMOT program -- launched in 2020 in collaboration with the Chicago-based MxD (Manufacturing x Digital) and UMBC Training Centers -- has been renewed with a $1.2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Defense's Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation (OLDCC). The funding will support the implementation of new training curricula around machine learning and cybersecurity.

"In recent years, there has been a large number of cyber attacks on the manufacturing sector," says Nilanjan Banerjee, professor of computer science and electrical engineering and the grant's principal investigator. To address this rising concern, Banerjee explains, CyMOT aims to "make sure that people that are in the manufacturing business can get trained and upskilled in cybersecurity concepts around manufacturing."

Read more about the CyMOT program in this UMBC News article.