Grant: Applied Research and Development Grants - Level 1

Since 2012, Difenda has offered Managed Detection and Response (MDR) services to a wide range of client sectors across Canada, including finance, defense, and aerospace. They are focused on innovation, and have developed industry-leading solutions to automate and accelerate client responses to cyber threats. The adoption of new Industry 4.0 technologies across Canada introduces new threat vectors through the interface between Operational Technologies (OT), like Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC), switches and motors, to Information Technologies (IT) e.g. networks. Difenda is seeking to develop a low risk test environment to simulate a wide range of threats to OT, enabling them to understand OT as a complement to their strong expertise in cyber security. To achieve this goal, Difenda will collaborate with Mohawk College's experts in Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and advanced manufacturing. Dr. Esteve Hassan holds an NSERC IRCC in IIoT and sensor systems and researchers affiliated with the Additive Manufacturing Innovation Centre complement his knowledge. Through this collaboration, Difenda will gain access to expertise and equipment in key areas, integrated into a simulated IIoT environment that mirrors operating conditions across the manufacturing industry. The IT/OT Sandbox will provide a test environment critical to the development of new tools for the MDR of cyber security threats in the advanced manufacturing sector. This test bed will form the foundation for future development of tools and techniques to allow Difenda to better support Canada's manufacturing sector and ensure the most up to date protection technologies are available to Difenda's clients.