Region 8 Hosts Critical Manufacturing Roundtable

Billings, MT: About 40 government officials and professionals from across the Rocky Mountain region's critical manufacturing industries along with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) convened in Billings today virtually and in-person for a roundtable discussion of homeland security. The roundtable themed The Importance of Critical Manufacturing to Homeland Security and Why That Matters to You provided information sharing anchored in improving and building upon best security practices related to manufacturing.

“A failure in critical manufacturing security in one state could result in cascading disruptions to regions across the country,” said Randy Middlebrook, CISA Region 8’s protective security advisor for Montana. “We all share responsibility in safeguarding that security because neither government nor the private sector has the information sharing capacity and resources to do it alone,” he said. Then Mr. Middlebrook turned the microphone over to Senator Jon Tester, Senator Steve Daines and Congressman Matt Rosendale for opening remarks. All three Montana representatives participated virtually or by proxy.

The following discussion featured topics ranging from supply chain risks and cybersecurity to natural disasters and the cascading effects of local incidents on physical security, like the recent Yellowstone River flooding.

The Critical Manufacturing Sector of American infrastructure is one of sixteen infrastructure sectors with whom CISA works closely. Manufacturing is crucial to the economic prosperity and continuity of the whole country. Raw materials, primary metals; engines, turbines, power transmission equipment and electrical equipment; and cars, trucks, commercial ships, aircraft, and rail cars are just some examples of critical manufacturing industries in Montana and across the Rocky Mountain region.

CISA’s Region 8 serves Rocky Mountain states like Montana, Wyoming, Utah, and Colorado as well as North and South Dakota. Advisors for infrastructure security and cybersecurity reside in each of the six states working with partners across the public and private sector to defend against today’s threats and collaborate in building a more secure and resilient infrastructure for the future.

Visit CISA online to learn more about the Critical Manufacturing Sector. For information, training, security briefings and other infrastructure security resources provided free of charge by CISA Region 8 security advisors, contact CISA directly: CISARegion8Outreach@cisa.dhs.gov.

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