MSP4MFG and Event Horizon Group have announced an exclusive worldwide manufacturing license for Quantum Resilient Encryption (QRE), targeting the protection of CNC machine tools, engineering data and industrial operations. The agreement was announced September 18, 2026, at IMTS 2026 in Chicago alongside MSP4MFG’s Manufacturing Security Platform and new MSP4 Secure Edge Device.
Key Facts
- Announcement: September 18, 2026
- Location: IMTS 2026, McCormick Place, Chicago
- Companies: MSP4MFG LLC and Event Horizon Group
- Technology: Quantum Resilient Encryption (QRE)
- License: Exclusive worldwide license for the manufacturing sector
- Manufacturing applications: CNC machines, engineering networks and shop-floor environments
- New products: MSP4MFG Manufacturing Security Platform and MSP4 Secure Edge Device
- Initial target sectors: Aerospace, automotive, defense supply chains, job shops and fabrication
- Future development: PLCs and related industrial control systems
- MSP4MFG IMTS booth: 133326
The agreement specifically targets engineering information moving between manufacturing networks and machine tools, including part programs, drawings, models and other controlled technical information.
What Did MSP4MFG Announce at IMTS 2026?
At IMTS 2026 in Chicago, MSP4MFG announced an exclusive worldwide licensing agreement with Event Horizon Group to apply Quantum Resilient Encryption technology across the manufacturing sector.
According to the announcement, QRE will initially be integrated into two MSP4MFG offerings:
- Manufacturing Security Platform
- MSP4 Secure Edge Device
The company says these technologies are designed to extend cybersecurity protection into CNC machine tool environments, including operations supporting aerospace, automotive, defense supply chains, job shops and fabrication.
The companies also identified PLCs and related industrial control systems as areas for future development.
This is particularly relevant as manufacturing technology becomes increasingly connected.
IMTS 2026 itself is showcasing technologies spanning CNC machining, automation, robotics, additive manufacturing, software, AI and digital manufacturing. IMTS describes the event as the largest manufacturing technology trade show in the Western Hemisphere.
Why CNC Machine Cybersecurity Matters
A modern CNC machine is no longer an isolated piece of equipment.
Production environments increasingly connect machine tools with engineering systems, networks, monitoring platforms, controllers, software and other digital infrastructure.
That connectivity creates operational benefits, but it also increases the importance of protecting the information moving between systems.
For a CNC machine shop, valuable digital assets can include:
- CNC part programs
- CAD/CAM-related information
- Engineering drawings
- 3D models
- Production data
- Machine configuration information
- Controlled technical information
- Credentials used to access industrial systems
The MSP4MFG announcement specifically identifies part programs, drawings, models and other controlled technical information as data that needs protection as it moves between engineering networks and shop-floor machines.
For manufacturers working with aerospace, defense, automotive and other high-value production, protecting this information is therefore part of the broader industrial cybersecurity challenge.
What Is Quantum Resilient Encryption?
Quantum Resilient Encryption, or QRE, is the encryption technology being licensed by MSP4MFG from Event Horizon Group for manufacturing applications.
According to the companies, QRE was developed by CEW Systems Canada, an Event Horizon Group company, and is based on what they describe as Bi-Symmetric Encryption, a hybridized handshake technology designed for the quantum era.
The announced technology includes several security mechanisms.
1. Challenge and counter-challenge authentication
The QRE architecture uses a challenge/counter-challenge handshake in which login credentials are not transmitted.
According to the release, this is intended to remove a commonly exploited attack surface.
2. Randomized handshake data
The system uses salted and randomized handshake data designed to address interception, replay and pattern-analysis attacks.
3. Quantum-era brute-force resistance
Event Horizon Group says its exponentially nested formula makes brute-force attacks computationally impractical, including for quantum-capable adversaries.
This is a company-provided claim about the technology, rather than an independently verified performance assessment.
4. Industrial edge-device footprint
The release says QRE has a lightweight footprint intended for resource-constrained industrial edge devices.
It also describes a built-in password manager supporting complex credentials and two-factor authentication.
How Could QRE Protect CNC Machine Data?
One of the most important aspects of the announcement is its focus on the machine edge.
Manufacturing cybersecurity is not limited to protecting servers or corporate networks.
The machine tool itself can be part of the cybersecurity perimeter.
MSP4MFG says QRE can protect manufacturing data:
- At rest
- In motion
- At the machine
The technology is intended for smart edge devices connecting both legacy and modern CNC equipment.
That approach is significant because manufacturing environments often contain a mixture of newer connected equipment and older machines.
A cybersecurity strategy therefore has to account for the realities of the production floor rather than only the traditional IT environment.
MSP4MFG Manufacturing Security Platform
The QRE agreement arrives alongside the launch of MSP4MFG’s Manufacturing Security Platform.
The platform combines manufacturing-focused cybersecurity with plant-floor services.
According to MSP4MFG, its cybersecurity capabilities include:
- Security Operations Center (SOC)
- Security Information and Event Management (SIEM)
- Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR)
- Vulnerability Management
- Patch Management
- Penetration Testing
- A hardened operating system
The company says these capabilities are designed to support manufacturers dealing with frameworks and requirements including CMMC 2.0, NIST SP 800-171, ITAR, NERC-CIP, CIS, ISO/IEC, SOC 2, OWASP, CRA, NIS2, OT360 and DFARS.
Manufacturers should distinguish between technology capabilities and actual compliance.
Having a cybersecurity platform does not automatically mean an organization is compliant with every framework listed above. Compliance depends on the organization’s specific systems, controls, processes, scope and applicable requirements.
The MSP4 Secure Edge Device
Another part of the IMTS 2026 announcement is the new MSP4 Secure Edge Device.
The device is positioned as the connection point for manufacturing equipment and cybersecurity capabilities.
The announcement describes the device as part of MSP4MFG’s effort to bring security closer to CNC machine tools and legacy as well as modern CNC equipment.
This edge-focused architecture is particularly relevant to machine shops where production equipment cannot simply be replaced or taken offline every time a cybersecurity upgrade is required.
MSP4MFG’s managing director Tom Gaasenbeek described the machine tool as a critical location for protecting manufacturing intellectual property and said the company’s objective is to protect part programs and engineering data through the production environment without taking production offline.
That statement represents MSP4MFG’s position on its technology and approach.
Why Manufacturing Cybersecurity Is Becoming More Important
The cybersecurity discussion at IMTS 2026 is happening alongside a much broader transformation of manufacturing.
Industrial operations are becoming more connected through:
- CNC machine networking
- Industrial IoT
- Machine monitoring
- Cloud platforms
- Digital twins
- AI
- Robotics
- Remote access
- Connected CAD/CAM workflows
- Automated production systems
IMTS 2026 itself has placed significant attention on industrial AI, digital technologies and connected manufacturing. The official IMTS program includes dedicated industrial AI programming and technologies spanning machining, automation, software and digital manufacturing.
The more manufacturing systems communicate with one another, the more important cybersecurity becomes across the complete production environment.
Manufacturing Cybersecurity and the Rise of Connected CNC Machines
For decades, machine tools were primarily viewed through mechanical and electrical performance.
Today, the discussion increasingly includes:
Machine + Control + Software + Data + Connectivity + Cybersecurity
A CNC machine may generate or process valuable production information while communicating with engineering systems and other manufacturing infrastructure.
This creates a different cybersecurity model from traditional office IT.
Manufacturing environments have additional constraints:
- Production downtime can be expensive.
- Legacy equipment may remain in service for many years.
- Industrial systems may require specialized protocols and controls.
- Changes to production systems can affect machine availability.
- Security measures must account for operational technology.
- Manufacturers may have contractual or regulatory requirements around controlled information.
This is why OT cybersecurity and machine-level security are becoming increasingly important topics for CNC manufacturers and machine shops.
Industrial Cybersecurity Market
The MSP4MFG release cites DataM Intelligence estimates putting the industrial cybersecurity market at approximately US$84.5 billion in 2024, growing to US$135.9 billion by 2029, representing a reported 9.6% CAGR.
These figures are cited by MSP4MFG/Event Horizon Group in its announcement and should therefore be treated as the companies’ cited market data rather than as an independent Machina Today estimate.
The release also states that manufacturing has become the number-one ransomware target and says downtime can commonly exceed US$100,000 per hour.
Because the release does not provide the underlying ransomware dataset or methodology for those particular claims, Machina Today should not present them as independently verified figures without additional sourcing.
Who Is MSP4MFG?
MSP4MFG LLC is headquartered in Cheyenne, Wyoming.
The company describes itself as a plant-floor managed services provider focused on manufacturing operations.
Its ecosystem includes:
- Excellerant — production intelligence and machine monitoring
- Nexas — machine connectivity and OT integration
- OBETEC — cybersecurity and compliance
MSP4MFG says the combined offering integrates IT, OT and cybersecurity services for manufacturers.
At IMTS 2026, MSP4MFG is listed in the announcement at Booth 133326.
What This Means for CNC Machine Shops
The announcement points toward an important shift in how manufacturers may need to think about machine-tool security.
Cybersecurity is no longer only an IT department responsibility.
For connected manufacturing environments, the production floor can contain some of the company’s most valuable digital assets.
That means machine shops may need to consider cybersecurity alongside:
- Machine uptime
- Tool life
- Cycle time
- Quality
- Automation
- Maintenance
- Connectivity
- Production scheduling
- Data management
The challenge is balancing cybersecurity with production requirements.
A security system that protects information but disrupts production may create operational problems. Conversely, a highly connected production environment without appropriate security controls can increase exposure to cyber threats.
The emerging model is therefore manufacturing-native cybersecurity — security designed around the realities of industrial operations.
QRE, CNC Machines and the Future of Manufacturing Security
The MSP4MFG–Event Horizon Group agreement does not represent the entire future of CNC cybersecurity, but it is a notable example of how cybersecurity providers are moving closer to the machine tool.
The focus on quantum-resilient encryption also reflects a longer-term concern: manufacturers increasingly need to consider how today’s protected data will remain secure as computing capabilities evolve.
For CNC manufacturers and machine shops, the practical question is not simply whether quantum computing exists today.
It is whether sensitive engineering and production information needs to remain protected for years or decades.
That makes the security of CNC programs, engineering files and controlled manufacturing information an increasingly strategic issue.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is QRE in manufacturing?
QRE stands for Quantum Resilient Encryption. According to Event Horizon Group and MSP4MFG, it is a security technology developed by CEW Systems Canada and being licensed exclusively to MSP4MFG for manufacturing applications.
What did MSP4MFG announce at IMTS 2026?
MSP4MFG announced an exclusive worldwide license from Event Horizon Group to apply QRE technology across the manufacturing sector. The announcement coincided with the launch of its Manufacturing Security Platform and MSP4 Secure Edge Device.
How does QRE relate to CNC machines?
MSP4MFG says QRE will be used to protect manufacturing information moving between engineering networks and CNC machine tools, including part programs, drawings, models and other controlled technical information.
What is the MSP4 Secure Edge Device?
It is a new MSP4MFG security device announced at IMTS 2026 and intended to extend cybersecurity capabilities to the manufacturing edge, including legacy and modern CNC equipment.
Why is CNC cybersecurity important?
Connected CNC machines can interact with engineering networks and other industrial systems. Protecting the machine environment can therefore help protect production data, engineering information and operational technology.
Is QRE independently verified as quantum-safe?
The provided announcement describes QRE as designed for the quantum era and makes specific security claims. The supplied material does not provide an independent third-party validation of those claims, so they should be treated as statements from Event Horizon Group and MSP4MFG.
Where can manufacturers see MSP4MFG at IMTS 2026?
According to the September 18 announcement, MSP4MFG is at Booth 133326 at IMTS 2026 in McCormick Place, Chicago.
Machina Today Analysis
The most interesting part of this announcement is not simply the phrase “quantum resilient.”
It is the decision to put cybersecurity closer to the machine tool.
Manufacturing cybersecurity has historically involved a difficult separation between IT security and OT realities. CNC machines, PLCs, controllers and industrial networks cannot always be treated like conventional office computers.
As factories become more connected, that boundary is becoming increasingly important.
At IMTS 2026, manufacturers are seeing AI, robotics, automation, CNC machining, software and digital manufacturing converge on the same production floor.
The next question is therefore not only:
How intelligent can a machine become?
It is also:
How securely can that machine operate in a connected manufacturing environment?
The MSP4MFG–Event Horizon Group agreement puts that question directly into the CNC machine-tool conversation.
The Bigger Picture
The modern machine shop is becoming a connected digital environment.
CNC machines are increasingly connected to engineering systems, monitoring platforms, automation, software and data infrastructure.
That creates opportunities for productivity — but it also makes the protection of manufacturing data more important.
The MSP4MFG and Event Horizon Group announcement at IMTS 2026 provides one example of where this market is heading: cybersecurity that reaches beyond the corporate network and into the machine-tool environment.
For manufacturers handling sensitive engineering data, defense work, aerospace production or connected CNC operations, machine-level cybersecurity is becoming a topic that deserves the same attention as productivity, automation and quality.
The future of the smart factory will not only depend on connected machines. It will depend on secure connected machines.
Sources
- IMTS — International Manufacturing Technology Show, official 2026 event information.
- MSP4MFG / Event Horizon Group — September 18, 2026 press release.
- MSP4MFG / Event Horizon Group — QRE technical and cybersecurity information.
- IMTS — Industrial AI and manufacturing technology programming.
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