Stephen Deal, President, InfraGard Pittsburgh

As the Aerospace and Defense industry accelerates its digital transformation, thermal processing and heat-treating operations have emerged as vital nodes in the national security infrastructure. The integration of Artificial Intelligence and connected IoT sensors promises unprecedented gains — predictive maintenance, dynamic atmosphere optimization, and zero-defect metallurgy. But connecting operational technology to digital networks simultaneously exposes critical suppliers to targeted cyber espionage, ransomware, and supply-chain sabotage aimed at acquiring Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) and export-controlled ITAR data.

In this executive briefing, Stephen Deal — cybersecurity expert and President of the FBI-affiliated InfraGard Pittsburgh Members Alliance — bridges the gap between advanced manufacturing innovation and defense-grade cyber resilience. Drawing on real-world threat intelligence and federal law enforcement insights, Stephen breaks down how foreign adversaries exploit Tier 2 and Tier 3 subcontractors as entry points into major defense primes such as Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and Raytheon.

Attendees will gain a practical framework for deploying AI-driven efficiency on the furnace floor without sacrificing compliance or network security — and leave with three concrete actions they can put to work immediately.

WHAT ATTENDEES WILL LEARN

• The cyber threat to OT — why metallurgical recipes, quench parameters, and furnace controls are prime targets for nation-state actors.
• Secure AI integration — strategies like network segmentation (enclaves) and localized “Edge AI” to harness machine learning safely.
• Navigating CMMC 2.0 & NIST SP 800-171 — practical steps to satisfy defense-prime audits and turn cybersecurity into a high-margin commercial differentiator.
• Public–private intelligence sharing — how FBI-affiliated initiatives like InfraGard equip executives with actionable, real-time threat data.