A researcher in the Indiana University Kelley School of Business at IUPUI is part of a multidisciplinary, multi-institution team that was recognized by President Joe Biden and the White House during an address at the Cybersecurity Summit.
President Biden addressed cybersecurity threats and incidents affecting the country, and he talked about ways to boost the “nation’s cybersecurity in partnership and individually,” as well as how the government, education, and private sectors can work together to improve cybersecurity.
Amrou Awaysheh, an assistant professor of operations management, is conducting work under the Cybersecurity Manufacturing Innovation Institute, or CyManII. Funded by the Department of Energy and made up of a consortium of institutions, CyManII addresses the challenges of cybersecurity within the manufacturing and cybersecurity sectors of our nation’s infrastructure.
“Our involvement in CyManII is an important opportunity,” said Awaysheh. “This allows us to build on our existing work at IU, as we help manufacturers in their transition toward the digitization of their operations and supply chain. Energy efficiency is one way American manufacturers can be competitive globally, and as we’ve seen recently, cybersecurity is very important. Firms need to ensure that operations and infrastructure are protected from cybersecurity threats as they expand their manufacturing digital footprint.”
IU is home to the Kelley School of Business Center for Excellence in Manufacturing and offers a premier multidisciplinary program bridging law, business and IT for cybersecurity risk management as well. IU is also home to the IoT Energy Efficiency Lab, founded and directed by Awaysheh, which uses big data to help manufacturing facilities reduce energy consumption.
Professor Awaysheh’s research advances the use of secure and energy-efficient technology in manufacturing. He has been installing meters within manufacturing facilities to measure energy usage on each machine — and to determine how to save energy and, in turn, money. Awaysheh has already seen more than $100 million of energy savings in U.S. facilities using these smart meters. Under CyManII, he will continue to work with these partners to advance the adaption of this technology, as well as explore new ways to strengthen the cybersecurity of technology that supports energy efficiency in manufacturing.
According to CyManII, with over 114 specialized Cyber R&D Facilities; 100 technical experts and cyber engineers; 60 manufacturing testbeds; 50 partners ranging from national laboratories, universities, industries, non-profits, and government entities; five institutional foundational tasks (IFTs) including its Trustworks-aaS, which comprises its workforce development plans and services; and a full leadership and operational team, CyManII is becoming one of the fastest-growing Manufacturing Innovation Institutes (MII) in the country.