Premium Associate Member Spotlight: STACK Cybersecurity
This article appeared in the October 2026 issue of MiMfg Magazine. Read the full issue and find past issues online.
Michigan manufacturers are building tighter tolerances, leaner operations, and smarter supply chains, but the systems behind those gains are increasingly vulnerable to disruption. When cybersecurity is treated as a back-burner issue, the consequences often show up on the plant floor first.
“We’re seeing that many manufacturers are very reactive, and cybersecurity is backburnered for budgetary reasons,” said Rich Miller, president and chief executive officer of STACK Cybersecurity in Livonia.
That gap often becomes visible only when production stops. A file server fails, a machine loses network access, or orders stall while teams work to identify what changed overnight. What starts as a technical issue quickly becomes an operations issue affecting schedules, customer commitments, and revenue.
STACK Cybersecurity has spent two decades helping manufacturers, treating cybersecurity as an operational function rather than a standalone IT problem. The company focuses on building visibility before an incident occurs through continuous monitoring, centralized logging, and defined incident response procedures.
“If you’re not doing that in front of an attack, then you have no idea what transpired during the attack,” Miller said. “You don’t walk up to a crashed plane and put a black box on it.”
How We’re Innovating
We continuously evaluate the evolving technology landscape and introduce new services and solutions that reflect changes in the IT environment and the needs of our clients.
Visibility matters, especially in manufacturing where office systems, production equipment, and vendor networks are often interconnected. When an incident occurs, recovery speed depends on whether monitoring and response capabilities were already in place.
The threat landscape is also becoming more organized. Malicious groups targeting manufacturers often reuse access methods, share tools and replicate successful attacks across multiple environments. “They have ransomware-as-a-service complete with their own support systems and even their own KPIs,” said Tracey Birkenhauer, chief impact officer and co-owner of STACK Cybersecurity.
For many manufacturers, cybersecurity does not feel urgent until output, quality, or delivery is interrupted. That delay can leave leaders trying to respond after the damage is already affecting operations.
Alongside its security operations work, STACK helps manufacturers prepare for Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) compliance. As a Registered Practitioner Organization, the company supports defense supply chain manufacturers with CMMC audit readiness assessments, gap identification, and technical controls implementation aligned with NIST SP 800-171 requirements for protecting controlled unclassified information (CUI).
For many companies, those requirements are tied directly to contract eligibility and renewal. “This isn’t something that’s coming later. It’s already here,” Birkenhauer said. “We’re working with manufacturers who need to demonstrate where they stand just to keep doing business.”
How We Measure Success
Through client and employee retention, satisfaction and the strength of the long-term relationships we build.
STACK’s workforce strategy is tied to those needs. The company created Michigan’s first U.S. Department of Labor-registered Cyber Defense Incident Responder apprenticeship program, giving people a hands-on pathway into cybersecurity through live monitoring and real-world incident response experience. Their first apprentice graduated in June 2026 becoming a full-time Tier I Technician with the company.
As cybersecurity expectations rise, manufacturers are being asked to do more than keep systems running. They must show that technical controls are in place and that security tools are functioning and capable of protecting production environments. Companies investing in that foundation now may be better positioned to reduce downtime, maintain customer trust and stay competitive as threats and compliance demands continue to evolve.
STACK Cybersecurity is an MMA Premium Associate Member and has been an MMA member company since December 2024. Visit online: stackcyber.com.