SAN ANTONIO – The Cybersecurity for Manufacturing (C4M) hub at Port San Antonio is just one of 15 hubs across the United States.

C4M is a part of CyManII, the Cybersecurity Manufacturing Innovation Institute, focused on providing cybersecurity training to companies nationwide.

CyManII, an initiative by the Department of Energy, aims to prevent cyberattacks in the country.

In 2020, UTSA officially launched CyManII, thanks to a grant from the Department of Energy, bringing much-needed cybersecurity protection to our networks.

“Our mission is to protect infrastructure in the United States,” said Alvaro Espinosa, manager of C4M at Port San Antonio.

Cybersecurity researchers in San Antonio and South Texas have already trained 30,000 individuals in cybersecurity safety, with a goal of reaching 1 million in the next two years.

“We basically go to different places and train in cybersecurity topics without interrupting your operation,” Espinosa explained.

What is Cybersecurity?

Cybersecurity is described as a war that takes place within internet networks. It’s crucial to protect critical infrastructure against network attacks.

“We are providing free training from the very early stages of awareness to disaster recovery planning, penetration testing,” Espinosa added.

The C4M lab offers training through their Mobile Education Training Vehicle, equipped with tech to facilitate training both indoors and outdoors.

They teach a variety of cybersecurity safety measures including:

• Password management
• Using the correct upgrade for a software system
• Understanding information transfer within organizations

“Through this vehicle, we make all this training available across the state,” Espinosa said.

The training vehicle not only visits companies but also schools.

“It’s a new way to train people, gamifying cybersecurity topics where kids can connect,” Espinosa highlighted. “We are proactive about that, starting at a young age to raise awareness.”

Training people on cybersecurity is critical as 80% of breaches occur due to human error. C4M researchers collaborate with UTSA to build and attack robots in their lab for learning and prevention purposes.

“We are providing real-world experience to build a network of local manufacturers and companies that we can work with,” said Alessandra Ruiz, a C4M intern and UTSA junior.

C4M and CyManII offer training sessions across South Texas and can bring their mobile lab to businesses or schools for training. If interested, click here.

“This institution is funded by taxpayers, so reach out because we are here to serve,” Espinosa concluded.

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