Topics of the Day
Podcast
Breaking News
There is an unsung hero these days that remains a steady but sure backbone as digitalization continues its march forward allowing for unprecedented growth and productivity in the manufacturing sector – cybersecurity.
It is no secret global warming is continuing to grow and present a problem for the world. It is also no secret the manufacturing sector is a large contributor to this world-wide dilemma, however, as the industry heads toward a lofty, but achievable goal of carbon neutrality, safety can play a vital role.
FOCAL POINTS
INCIDENTS
PA Brick Maker Faces Safety Fines
A Watsontown, Pennsylvania-based brick manufacturer is facing just under $500,000 in safety fines for three willful and four serious violations for knowingly exposing its workers to unsafe levels of respirable silica dust at its plant, said officials at the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
OT Advisories
No Fix Yet for Ebyte NE2-D11 Vulnerabilities
Ebyte said it is working on a fix to handle multiple vulnerabilities in its Ebyte NE2-D11, according to a report with CISA.
COMPANY/PRODUCT NEWS
NORD Expands Functional Safety on VFDs
NORD DRIVESYSTEMS launched expanded motion safety functions to its NORDAC ON VFDs, offering integrated fail-safe controls, PROFIsafe or FSoE (Functional Safety over EtherCAT) connectivity, and reduced wiring for modern automated production.
GOVERNMENT
Controlling Electronic Devices to Avert Ignition Hazards
Unsafe use of portable electronic devices (PEDs) – including pagers, cell phones, cameras, video equipment, and radios – in hazardous areas offshore is becoming more of a hazard, said officials at the Marine Minerals Administration (MMA) after series of inspections.
VIEWS
Not Cold Statistics, But Real People that Died on the Job
Ben Morrissey and Max Morrissey surely came into work September 20, 2022, with the usual thoughts on their minds like what do we have to do today to keep things up and running, what can I learn, is there any nonsense I have to deal with at the office? That kind of thing.
TRAINING & CERTIFICATION
ISASecure Partners with NSA on Certification Program
Cisco has fixes available to handle multiple critical vulnerabilities in its Cisco Crosswork Security after its engineering team conducted an internal security review.
CAREERS
University Gains Cyber-AI Workforce Development Award
University of West Florida (UWF) Center for Cybersecurity and AI (CCAI) received a $1.74 million award to prepare the next generation of professionals to address emerging challenges at the intersection of artificial intelligence and cybersecurity.
TECHNOLOGY UPDATE
Cyborg Cockroaches Learn to Navigate
Cyborg insects combine the mobility of living organisms with miniature electronic devices, offering potential applications in search-and-rescue operations, infrastructure inspection, and exploration of environments that are difficult for conventional robots.
STANDARDS
Updated Safety Standard Gives Clarity
An updated safety standard, ASTM E2920-26 from ASTM International, brings a more structured approach to recording and evaluating workplace injuries, illnesses, and Serious Injury and Fatality (SIF) events.
RESEARCH
AI Linked to Over Half of Cybercrime in Africa
Artificial intelligence (AI) is continuing its growth across the globe and a perfect case on point is AI is enabling 55 percent of reported cybercrimes across Africa, according to a report released by Interpol.
Industry Voices
AI just crossed from cyber hype into cyber capability. The only defense that scales with it is the unglamorous work most teams keep deferring – Fundamentals.
AI agents are coming for your business. Industry predictions claim the number of tasks executed by agents will grow at a CAGR of 524 percent to reach 415 trillion by 2030.
The next wave of corporate endpoints is already here. AI-powered PCs, equipped with dedicated neural processing units (NPUs), which have the capability to run generative AI workloads locally on the endpoint instead of sending data to the cloud.
In today’s interconnected industrial landscape, whether or not cybersecurity threats are increasing is no longer up for debate. The most valuable discussion now centers on how we collectively address them.
Sending it your way
Industry White Papers
Safety Goes Digital
Manufacturing organizations around the world continue to boost their digital footprint and increase connectivity to reap dividends from data and heighten knowledge gleaned from sensors, assets, and devices to help increase productivity, strengthen their process, and help keep workers safe.


