Cyber Florida 2020-2021 Annual Report

2020 Cyber Florida Annual Report A LOOK INTO OUR PAST, PRESENT, & FUTURE

1 | 2020 ANNUAL REPORT

The Florida Center for Cybersecurity was established by the Florida Legislature in 2014 with passage of Florida Statute 1004.444.

1. The Florida Center for Cybersecurity is established within the University of South Florida.

2. The goals of the Center are to: a) Position Florida as the national leader in cybersecurity and its related workforce through education, research, and community engagement. b) Assist in the creation of jobs in the state’s cybersecurity industry, and enhance the existing cybersecurity workforce. c) Act as a cooperative facilitator for state business and higher education communities to share cybersecurity knowledge, resources, and training. d) Seek out partnerships with major military installations to assist, when possible, in homeland cybersecurity defense initiatives. e) Attract cybersecurity companies to the state with an emphasis on defense, finance, health care, transportation, and utility sectors.

CYBER FLORIDA | 2 LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Greetings to the Florida State University System Board of Governors and Other Stakeholders: When University of South Florida President, Dr. Steven Currall, asked me to take over as the executive director of the Florida Center for Cybersecurity—also known as Cyber Florida—in February 2020, he charged me with “taking [the Center] to the next level” in cybersecurity education, research, and outreach. We’ve taken his charge seriously, and while the Center had already made its mark at USF, we have begun in earnest to expand our presence across the state and the nation.

In that regard, Florida’s governor and state legislature gave us a straightforward mission: lead the institutions that comprise Florida’s State University System (SUS)—already among the very best in the country—to become preeminent in scholarly cybersecurity research, cybersecurity workforce development and education, and cybersecurity engagement and outreach to Florida’s citizens, businesses, government jurisdictions, and other stakeholders.

As readers may know, I’ve been focusing on the cybersecurity threat to our country for several decades as Director of the National Security Agency and later as the nation’s second Director of U.S. National Intelligence— with corporate leadership stints in between—and I believe that the State’s mandate is as relevant today as it was then…indeed, I believe that it is even more so.

Readers will see the results of that mandate in the following pages, and I think you’ll be impressed. However, let me stress that this has been a truly collective effort, our Cyber Florida team, led by Staff Director Ron Sanders (a public servant of significant stature in his own right), has been truly magnificent in that regard.

The three missions set forth by the State in our enabling statute have become our major ‘lines of effort,’ each serving as a pillar of our latest Strategic Plan. Just as importantly, each aligns with one or more goals in the Florida Higher Education Strategic Plan so that all the things that the Cyber Florida team does will contribute to those ends, as well. Note that each goal includes one or more SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-based) objectives to guide our activities and metrics that allow for continuous transparency and accountability to both our public and private stakeholders.

In closing, I hope you agree that, despite a challenging year for us all, the Cyber Florida team has made impressive strides toward the State’s ambitious vision.

HON J. Michael “Mike” McConnell, Executive Director The Florida Center for Cybersecurity (Cyber Florida) University of South Florida

3 | 2020 ANNUAL REPORT

Executive Summary As it was for so many around the world, 2020-2021 was a year of change at the Florida Center for Cybersecurity (Cyber Florida). In addition to navigating the pandemic, the introduction of new leadership ushered in a bolder vision for the Center with high-reaching objectives designed to position Cyber Florida on the national stage. A comprehensive review of resources, structure, and mission areas culminated in an ambitious three-year Strategic Plan with well-defined goals aligned to our three mission pillars: education, research, and outreach. The following pages spotlight some of the major efforts and achievements in each of these areas, including • Retooling the University of South Florida’s M.S. in Cybersecurity into four new master’s degree programs to more effectively address employer needs • Implementing Operation K12: a highly successful initiative in partnership with the Florida Center for Instructional Technology that has infused cybersecurity hygiene and career awareness curricula into public schools throughout Florida and created numerous pathways for K-12 students to spark and encourage interest in cybersecurity careers • Partnering with DC-based think-tank New America to create a national Cyber Citizenship Education program to combat the rising threat of mis- and disinformation online • Funding rapid research projects to investigate how COVID-19 misinformation spread via social media in the early weeks of the pandemic, how the public used social media to seek health-related information, and cybercrime victimization stemming from COVID-19 • Landing three grant projects to support the National Security Agency’s Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity (CAE-C) program by providing leadership support for the Southeast Region; designing and implementing a national workforce development program, CyberSkills2Work, as part of a 10-member consortium; and creating a national collegiate cyber competition for the CAE Community with a focus on encouraging newcomers to field, particularly those from underrepresented groups • Adding staff resources to enhance our role in enabling and facilitating of state-of-the-art research across the State University System of Florida (SUS) by capturing more grant opportunities, bringing more research dollars to Florida, and leading a series of research-focused events • Introducing a public policy aspect to our outreach mission area to effect change at the state and national level, advocating for legislative and budgetary support to improve the overall cybersecurity posture of our citizens, organizations, and nation-at-large • Bringing together an incredible roster of distinguished thought-leaders for a major virtual conference hosted on behalf of U.S. Central Command examining the United States’ role in cyberspace through the lens of the ‘Great Power Competition’ • Creating a Governing Council of dean-level representatives from across the SUS to guide and support our efforts • Conducting several successful public outreach campaigns—one in partnership with the Florida Secretary of State to raise awareness about voting misinformation—on matters of public cyber safety

CYBER FLORIDA | 4

E D U C A T I O N

Goal 1.

Increase the number of cybersecurity professionals

Initiatives 1.1 Increase Florida’s K-12 cybersecurity pipeline 1.2 Increase the number and quality of cybersecurity degree programs and graduates 1.3 Sponsor and support cyber professional/vocational education Our nation faces a critical shortage of cybersecurity talent, with unfilled openings exceeding 450,000* nationwide.

This shortage leaves individuals, businesses, government offices, and critical infrastructure such as utilities and ports alarmingly vulnerable to cybercrime, cyber espionage, and other threats from foreign adversaries. Cyber Florida is committed to increasing the quality and quantity of professionals serving in Florida’s cybersecurity workforce. We work with our State University System of Florida partners and the Florida public education system—from the state Department of Education and the Florida College System to vocational schools, county school districts, and local schools and educators—to inspire, educate, and empower the next generation of cyber professionals. A few of these efforts are highlighted in the following section.

21,893

FLORIDA JOB OPENINGS

*Source: CyberSeek.org

TOTAL EMPLOYED CYBERSECURITY WORKFORCE

956,341

TOTAL CYBERSECURITY JOB OPENINGS

464,420

5 | 2020 ANNUAL REPORT

Initiative 1.2

Retooling Graduate Cybersecurity Education When Cyber Florida supported USF in establishing its M.S. in Cybersecurity in 2016, the program broke new ground. It was the first fully online, interdisciplinary cybersecurity master’s program in Florida and boasted four concentrations—Digital Forensics, Cyber Intelligence, Information Assurance, and Computer Security Fundamentals.

The program earned USF the esteemed National Center of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity (CAE-C) designation by the National Security Agency, a mark of quality coveted by institutions of higher education (see page 10). Since 2016, however, the industry has advanced rapidly, leading employers to expand their needs and expectations for cybersecurity grads.

In response, Cyber Florida worked with the various USF colleges that support the M.S. in Cybersecurity to reconfigure the program to reflect the emerging labor market for cyber jobs. After an in-depth examination, the group determined that the four existing concentrations should be expanded into individual M.S. programs within their respective colleges, creating four new, specialized M.S. majors to provide for the more distinct technical specializations employers are looking for.

When fully implemented, USF’s Colleges of Engineering, Business, Arts and Sciences, and Behavioral and Community Sciences will each offer a specialized major in a cybersecurity discipline, and they, along with other majors related to cybersecurity (like computer science and information assurance) will make USF a statewide leader in higher education in this vital area.

The expansion and realignment into four new graduate degrees will enable USF to produce specialized graduates ready to fill more advanced cyber workforce roles. Cyber Florida will continue to work with SUS institutions to create, expand, and realign cyber academic programs to keep pace with evolving industry needs.

THE STUDENT SOC In 2020-2021, Cyber Florida introduced a pilot Student Security Operations Center (SOC) for USF students to learn and practice real-time cyber threat monitoring, analysis, and reporting. Eighteen students participated, and several graduated with lucrative jobs! We are exploring expanding the program to other SUS institutions, making it a credit-earning experience, and registering it as an official Department of Labor Apprenticeship Program to provide added financial support for student SOC engineers.

CYBER FLORIDA | 6

Initiative 1.1

Operation K12:

Cyber Florida and FCIT Bring Cybersecurity to Florida’s Public Schools Among the factors contributing to the national cyber workforce shortage is the lack of career awareness among young people. As an emerging field, many students are not exposed to cybersecurity as a career option until after they enter college. Early in 2020, Cyber Florida connected with the Florida Center for Instructional Technology (FCIT) at USF to infuse cybersecurity educational programming throughout Florida’s public schools not only to improve student cyber habits but also to introduce cybersecurity as a lucrative, in-demand, and rewarding career path.

Dubbed “Operation K12,” the program includes

• Interactive summer camps for elementary, middle, and high school students • Off-the-shelf cyber awareness lesson plans and activities plus Cybersecurity Essentials, a full course with detailed lesson plans (known as a Scope and Sequence) for a technical education course for high school juniors and seniors that prepares them to earn entry-level professional certifications • Cybersecurity Teachers Academies, in which educators are introduced to cybersecurity through an online boot camp and given continuous support and professional development opportunities throughout the year, so we have more educators equipped to teach the subject • Assistance implementing the Air Force Association’s Cyber Patriot program, a national high school student cybersecurity competition to inspire K-12 students toward careers in cybersecurity or other STEM disciplines critical to our nation’s future • A grant from the National Cryptological Museum Foundation to develop a 32-day “Ethics and Safety Fundamentals” unit for their high school cybersecurity curriculum • The Career and Professional Education (CAPE) Accelerator Program to augment the State’s successful CAPE Act with an additional $250 ‘bounty’ paid to Cybersecurity Essentials teachers whose students successfully earn certification, supported by matching donor contributions and Cyber Florida funds Operation K12 is engaged with more than 35 Florida public school districts, including the state’s three largest: Miami-Dade, Broward, and Hillsborough counties (which also make the list of the top 10 largest districts in the United States), accounting for outreach to approximately 89% of Florida’s public school teachers and students.

Four teachers were nominated by their schools for the President’s Cybersecurity Education Award, bestowed annually by the U.S. Secretary of Education on two educators in the field to honor their contribution to the education of our nation’s students.

Cyber Florida and FCIT plan to expand all aspects of this effort, adding more districts and increasing access through alternative routes like summer camps. We are also exploring sharing these resources with districts in other states as the model for a national effort.

SUMMER CAMP EXPLOSION Operation K12 is again offering its popular elementary school and high school cyber camps, plus two new camps: Everyone Can Code and Middle School Cyber Camp. With rave reviews from both campers and parents, big increases in registration over last year, and a full waitlist for the middle school camp, we’ll be looking to expand access to these programs next summer!

Elementary Camp: 300% growth Middle School Camp: Full with a full waitlist High School Camp: 175% growth

7 | 2020 ANNUAL REPORT

Initiatives 1.1 | 3.2 | 3.3

A New Partnership for

Cyber Citizenship

“Cyber citizenship” refers to American citizens’ ability to effectively participate in today’s online, social-media-driven “electronic commons,” and that starts with K-12 education. As the challenge of misinformation and deliberate disinformation threatens our democracy and even public health, Cyber Florida and FCIT have partnered with major Washington, DC-based think-tank New America to launch a bold initiative on the increasingly vital topic of cyber citizenship skills.

As we saw first-hand in our work with Florida’s Secretary of State Laurel Lee (see page 15) to combat voting misinformation during the election, voters’ ability—especially first-time, voters—to discern truth from falsehood or manipulation online is known as “digital literacy.” Learning to navigate online channels without contributing to or perpetuating false or misleading information is good cyber citizenship and a responsibility we all share as part of a well-informed electorate. The U.S. has fallen behind its peers in this aspect of education, harming individual students and overall societal resilience against online dangers.

This partnership will confront these issues through community-building and by connecting tools to needs, and in so doing, we are building a sustainable community of educators, scholars, policymakers, and practitioners who share a common interest in improving the cyber citizenship skills of our nation’s K-12 students. Work has begun to identify and invite relevant educators, policymakers, and subject matter experts to participate in a Cyber Citizenship Working Group.

The project will then conduct a variety of activities, including publishing a whitepaper on cyber citizenship skills and tools as well as the development of a Cyber Citizenship Portal: a searchable database of instructional materials that can be filtered by grade level, affordability, and accessibility. The portal will provide educators in Florida and across the nation with ready access to resources and a new hub for a collaborative community dedicated to aiding our youth in navigating the online world safely and securely.

Although in the early stages, this initiative is clearly important to our country, and it has already attracted national attention, including National Public Radio’s “Morning Edition,” the most popular radio program in the nation.

EDUCATION: ON THE HORIZON • Connecting with Florida’s State College System to share resources and curriculum and increase opportunities for state college students • Reaching out to Florida public school district superintendents to learn more about district needs and advocating for increased funding to support cybersecurity education in public schools • Establishing a scholarship for students pursuing cybersecurity-related degrees, with a preference for historically underrepresented groups such as women and minorities • Developing a legislative proposal to expand availability of federally funded scholarships for cyber students • Working with senior representatives from the Department of Defense, the Florida Defense Alliance, and the SUS to create a pathway for student security clearance, facilitating defense industry employment upon graduation • Implementing a national collegiate cyber competition on behalf of the National Security Agency’s Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity program office

CYBER FLORIDA | 8

R E S E A R C H

&

G R A N T S

Goal 2.

Contribute to the state of the art in cybersecurity research.

Initiatives 2.1 Expand, accelerate, and target Cyber Florida grant programs.

2.2 Expand statewide cyber research collaboration and funding.

2.3 Shape federal grant funding to create more SUS cybersecurity research opportunities.

In our role as an enabler of scholarship, Cyber Florida has supported significant funding to applied cybersecurity research and capacity-building programs. In 2021-2022, we explored new ways to contribute to and promote cybersecurity research across the SUS to learn more about their collective research efforts, and as a result, help them seek new funding opportunities and work with scholars to prepare winning grant applications. These added capabilities have the potential to grow the amount of cybersecurity research dollars coming to Florida significantly.

In addition, Cyber Florida is working on several grant-funded projects to support the National Security Agency’s Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity program. We highlight a few of these efforts on the following pages.

9

][

These projects have generated roughly $17 million in follow-on funding from other sources

STATE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM OF FLORIDA INSTITUTIONS

H AV E R E C E I V E D

$3.74 MILLION

IN SEED GRANTS FROM CYBER FLORIDA

a

345% (ROI) Return on Investment

9 | 2020 ANNUAL REPORT

Initiatives 2.1 | 2.2 | 3.2

Investigating the Cyber Fallout of COVID-19 COVID-19 has ushered paradigm shifts into many aspects of life, but none so disruptive as the mass migration to “life online.” Millions of Floridians changed their behavior to embrace working, learning, shopping, and even dining online in a matter of weeks. During the same period, cybercriminals worldwide adapted their tactics to take advantage of these new behaviors.

Concerned about the burgeoning cybersecurity crisis stemming from the pandemic, Cyber Florida offered rapid grant awards to scholars interested in investigating how COVID-19 was affecting the cybersecurity landscape. Among the proposals selected was a project proposed by researchers at USF to examine the role social media bots (fake accounts run by automated programs aimed at influencing conversations and behaviors) played in spreading COVID-19 mis- and disinformation. Surprisingly, the research showed that while bots did not play a significant role in spreading misinformation early in the pandemic, humans did, and the damage was far-reaching. The team identified ten notable people and organizations—the World Health Organization among them—responsible for introducing the most widespread and persistent misinformation. The project report, “Bots Are Bad, Humans Are Worse,” is a cautionary tale for public relations specialists, reminding organizations and “influencers” to be prudent when dispensing advice amid an evolving situation.

The results of this project led to a follow-on survey to examine, among other things, how misinformation shared on social media influenced Floridian’s attitudes and behaviors concerning getting vaccinated against COVID-19. The report, “Health Information Seeking Behaviors on Social Media During the COVID-19 Pandemic Among American Social Networking Site Users: Survey Study,” found that exposure to misinformation online was correlated with a decreased likelihood of undergoing vaccination and was accepted for publication by the prestigious Journal of Medical Internet Research.

Cyber Florida will continue to collaborate with the USF and SUS scholars to enable additional research on topical issues to advance the state-of-the-art in cyber scholarship and guide our outreach and legislative efforts toward areas of greatest need.

RECENT AND UPCOMING RESEARCH

• Applied research on Smart Grid/cyber-physical systems (utilities), autonomous vehicle, blockchain, and “on-chip” security as well as deep learning systems and artificial intelligence • A study on cyber victimization stemming from COVID-19 • A follow-up survey on the cybersecurity needs of local governments in partnership with the Florida City and County Management Association • A comparison survey on social media users’ privacy awareness pre- and post-pandemic • Collaborating with the Center for Internet Security and the SANS Institute to investigate and combat the prevalence of “unicorn postings”—job postings that request an unrealistic amount of experience for entry-level cybersecurity vacancies—a common deterrent for applicants and barrier to entry for new practitioners • A comprehensive survey of the cybersecurity-related academic offerings of all 12 SUS institutions to identify gaps in programming and account for all programs that contribute to the cyber workforce

CYBER FLORIDA | 10

Initiatives 1.2 | 1.3 | 2.1 | 2.2 | 2.3

Leading the Way on

NSA Research Grants

With support from several federal partners, the National Cryptologic School at the National Security Agency (NSA) manages the National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity (CAE-C) program, a nationwide network of 350+ community colleges, colleges, and universities that establishes standards of excellence for curriculum. Cyber Florida is proud to be part of three grant projects to support this prestigious national program.

For the first project, the Center joined forces with Forsyth Technical College in North Carolina to support the University of West Florida (UWF) in its re-designation as the Southeast CAE-C Regional Hub , building a stronger CAE Community by hosting events, faculty professional development workshops, and student competitions and facilitating collaborations among CAE-C institutions and government partners across the region.

UWF has served as the Southeast regional hub since 2017, and the re-designation includes expanding from five to eight southeastern states. To help meet the challenges of managing a larger region, Cyber Florida will assist lead institution UWF with collaborations, training, faculty development, and cyber competitions.

For the second project, Cyber Florida is part of a 10-member coalition to establish a nationally scalable, certificate-based cybersecurity workforce development program that aligns with the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) Cybersecurity Workforce Framework. Titled “CyberSkills2Work,” the program focuses on preparing and placing transitioning military and first responders into cybersecurity work roles in critical infrastructure sectors, where new talent is needed most. In addition to piloting a cohort, Cyber Florida is working with partners across the financial services, defense, and energy sectors to build a National Employers Network that will help guide the effort and benefit from direct access to participants as potential employees.

Lastly, Cyber Florida and Mohawk Valley Community College in Utica, New York, have partnered to create a national intercollegiate cybersecurity competition, titled “Enigma,” in recognition of the role that women have played in codebreaking, especially in the US and UK. The effort will focus on encouraging students who are new to cyber competitions, particularly from underrepresented groups, to inspire more students to pursue careers in cybersecurity. Events will emphasize learning and teamwork to ensure a positive experience for newcomers, with regional and national awards for Most Valuable Teammate and Most Improved Teammate.

These three projects are valuable initiatives in the ongoing effort to build a robust cybersecurity workforce to safeguard our collective national security interests, and Cyber Florida is proud to help lead the way!

NEW SKILLS FOR A NEW FIGHT GETS NEW LIFE With funding from JPMorgan Chase & Co., Cyber Florida has twice offered New Skills for a New Fight, a rapid training program to help veterans and others transition into cyber careers. Each cycle—in 2017 and 2019—tested a different curriculum and delivery model. Each was successful in training and placing about 20 students—early successes that helped us land the national workforce development grant with UWF. With that and continued support from JPMorgan, Cyber Florida is running a third cohort—delivered 100% online—and will start recruiting for a fourth in summer 2021. We intend to seek additional funding to make this beneficial program a year-round offering.

11 | 2020 ANNUAL REPORT

Initiatives 2.1 | 2.2 | 2.3

Helping Connect Cyber Research Dollars Research faculty are a busy bunch, juggling teaching duties, student needs, and research projects that can last years. While most faculty members are plugged into traditional major funding avenues, such as the National Science Foundation, there are hundreds of other public and private grant opportunities that they have neither the time nor the resources to track.

One of the challenges identified by the new Cyber Florida Governing Council (see page 14) is making scholars aware of these alternative funding sources and helping them capture those that align with their research. The Center has added two staff positions to help address this gap, a grant writing expert and a research liaison. Already, the team has begun developing a system to identify non-traditional funding sources, evaluate the grants, and communicate high-potential opportunities to appropriate faculty across the SUS. In addition to finding new sources of funding, Cyber Florida will provide proposal support when appropriate. Once established, the effort should bring significant additional research funding to the state and contribute to the national preeminence of Florida’s public institutions of higher education in the realm of cyber research.

Cyber Florida is also encouraging and expanding statewide cybersecurity research collaboration and funding by working with academic leaders from the University of Florida’s Florida Institute for Cybersecurity Research (FICS) and our Governing Council to support, organize, and facilitate a series of research conferences between various ‘paired’ universities (starting with UF and USF) to highlight the cybersecurity research strengths of their respective faculties. Working with this group, we further intend to draft whitepapers to help shape funding agency agendas and identify areas of collaboration for grant proposals. Other universities on board to participate include FIU, UWF, and UCF. In addition, we are working with the Governing Council and UF’s FICS to plan a fall 2021 event similar to the highly regarded Gordon Research Conference series to bring those faculty scholars concentrating on a particular topical area in cybersecurity—for example, the incidence of ransomware—to discuss their efforts and findings. We plan to use these events as pilots and ‘proof of concept’ models as we expand cybersecurity research efforts across the SUS.

RESEARCH & GRANTS: ON THE HORIZON • Helping USF apply for the National Science Foundation’s CyberCorps: Scholarship for Service program, which provides scholarships in exchange for students agreeing to work for the U.S. Government in a cyber position upon graduation; USF would join other SUS institutions FIU, FSU, UCF, U.F., and UWF as a program participant • Responding and proposing improvements to a grant proposal issued by the National Security Agency’s Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity (CAE-C) program to create a CAE-C advisory board to provide guidance on emerging cyber issues to the US Secretary of Defense • Supporting Florida International University and the Organization of American States (OAS) on a grant proposal under the US Department of State’s Global Telecommunications and Emerging Technology Training Program; Cyber Florida would provide 5G-related cybersecurity training across the globe • Providing technical support to a USF researcher applying for a Department of Homeland Security grant to help track and prevent targeted violence and terrorism • Participating in a consortium of institutions applying for CAE-C funding to develop a cybersecurity community platform connecting local events to formal cyber career pathways • Seeking additional funding from the National Science Foundation to support our Cyber Citizenship Educational initiative with New America

CYBER FLORIDA | 12

O U T R E A C H

Goal 3.

Make Florida the most cyber-secure state.

Initiatives 3.1 Improve the cybersecurity of Florida’s public and private sectors.

3.2 Improve the cyber hygiene of Florida’s citizens.

3.3 Develop and implement a public policy agenda.

Cybersecurity is a collective responsibility that demands individual and organizational vigilance. Cyber Florida provides a wealth of materials and hosts various educational events to help individuals and organizations better understand their cyber risks and institute the best practices that can significantly reduce their chances of becoming victims of some form of cyber attack. Beyond that, we engage with state officials and lawmakers to advocate for legislation and funding to help vulnerable entities, such as small businesses, school districts, and governments at all levels, be in a position to better defend against and respond to cyberattacks to benefit the state’s and the Nation’s overall security posture.

CYBER FLORIDA ELECTION SECURITY AWARENESS CAMPAIGN

FIRST-TIME VOTERS SENIOR CITIZENS MINORITY COMMUNITIES

TOTAL CAMPAIGN REACH

611,819 160,736 863,174

1,635,729

13 | 2020 ANNUAL REPORT

Initiatives 3.3

Raising Our Voice on State and National Cybersecurity Policy With new leadership came a new strategic focus centered on he vital role that policy plays in effecting change. As such, Cyber Florida introduced a new objective to our strategic plan for 2020-2023: to develop and implement a public policy agenda. Tapping both national and local into the wealth of expertise across the Center’s network, we reached out to national and local legislators; other public officials at all levels (including the National Security Council, DOD and DHS, NSA and US Cyber Command, etc; and groups such as the Florida League of Cities, the Florida City and County Managers Association, the Florida Association of Counties, and the Florida Local Government Information Systems Association. With the support of these groups, we proposed legislation and funding earmarks for K-12 educational program support and cybersecurity improvements for Florida’s smaller government entities and school districts, both popular targets for cybercriminals. We also had the opportunity to interact with the Florida Cyber Task Force to analyze and comment on their recommendations to the State.

When the 2021-2022 Florida state budget proposal was unveiled in January and included nearly $40 million to shore up the state’s cybersecurity infrastructure, Cyber Florida penned an op-ed for Florida Politics—Florida’s leading political news site—in support of Governor DeSantis’ expanded budget support for cybersecurity initiatives. To further support the initiatives proposed, we are working with Representative Mike Giallombardo and Senator Jim Boyd, the sponsors of HB1297/SB1900, a general bill that proposes, among other things, the creation of the Florida Cybersecurity Advisory Council within the Department of Management Services.

To further support our public policy efforts, the Center has created a team of internal and external experts to track and evaluate proposed legislation and offer feedback when possible. The process includes bi-weekly meetings with USF’s vice president of government affairs, and we routinely monitor any new legislation at the state or federal level. If notable, the team writes executive briefs and requests additional information from our public policy partners working in Tallahassee and Washington, DC.

LAW ENFORCEMENT COLLABORATIONS Cyber Florida is building relationships with Florida’s law enforcement community, including the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s Domestic Security Coordination Group via the Regional Cyber Working Group and the Cyber Focus Group, which we chair. This group works to provide a cohesive approach to supporting law enforcement and public safety, including regional workshops at four locations across Florida in 2022 funded by FDLE and the Department of Homeland Security. We are also working with the Florida Sheriffs Association to provide awareness training to help officers defend their departments and their jurisdictions against cybercrime.

CYBER FLORIDA | 14

Initiatives 3.1 | 3.3

Working to Build More Collaboration Across the State University System To better meet our statewide mandate, Cyber Florida established the SUS Governing Council, a collection of deans (and equivalents) from across the SUS, who are positioned to provide guidance, advocate for change, and implement new programs we work to create an alliance of institutions committed to meeting our state’s workforce needs.

Members include Dr. Mark Tehranipoor, Director of the Florida Institute for Cybersecurity (FICS) Research Center at UF; Dr. Sam Huckaba, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at FSU; Dr. Eman El-Sheikh, Director of the University of West Florida Center for Cybersecurity; Dr. Brian Fonseca, Director of the Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy at FIU; Dr. Michael Georgiopoulos, Dean, College of Engineering and Computer Science University of Central Florida; and Dr. Robert Bishop, Dean of the College of Engineering at USF (see full membership list on page 18).

Already, the council has provided useful insight in a number of areas, helping Cyber Florida to make more valuable contributions in our role as enablers and facilitators within the SUS. Projects include cataloging the degree programs that contribute to the state’s cybersecurity workforce and developing a whitepaper for the Board of Governors advocating to expand the degrees that contribute to the state’s cybersecurity workforce beyond those with ‘cybersecurity’ in the title; creating an efficient system to help SUS institutions identify and apply for grants from nontraditional funding sources; and planning a series of joint research events to promote collaboration and highlight the outstanding work being done across the system.

2020-2021 EVENT HIGHLIGHTS Despite the disruption of COVID-19, Cyber Florida connected directly with thousands across Florida and beyond through virtual events hosted by Cyber Florida and our partner institutions, including conference presentations; media appearances; virtual career fairs; and webinars to support government leaders, defense contractors, and teachers and students in the Operation K12 program.

• Webinars with the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity and Florida Makes to help defense contractors prepare to meet new Department of Defense cybersecurity standards • Executive-level government jurisdictions cyberwar games with various stakeholders, including the Federal Executive Institute and several Florida government jurisdictions • Speaking engagements for Synapse, the Southwest Regional Technology Partnership, CARVERCON 2020, IronNet, STEM Connect, the Florida Association of Counties, the Hillsborough County Bar Association, the NICE K-12 Conference, ZeroFox, Tampa Bay Wave, and GovExec • The premiere webinar in a planned series co-hosted with Joint Special Operations University (JSOU); we are entering into an MOU with JSOU and plan to host a series of workshops to examine the complex threats related to information security, misinformation, and other cyber topics • More than 80 expert interviews for local and national news outlets

15 | 2020 ANNUAL REPORT

Initiatives 1.2 | 1.3 | 2.1 | 2.2 | 2.3 | 3.1 | 3.2

Confronting Urgent National Issues 2020 was a turbulent year in our nation, and true to form, neither cybercriminals nor foreign adversaries hesitated to capitalize on the tumult. Cybercriminals took advantage of people’s thirst for information about the virus and rapid migration to ‘life online’ by launching a multitude of phishing scams and fraudulent websites. To help combat the onslaught, Cyber Florida launched the online COVID-19 Threat Room—a webpage that cataloged known scams and issued threat alerts to citizens, small businesses, local government, and other common targets. We conducted a citizen outreach campaign in tandem with the site launch to raise awareness of the proliferation of these scams among the general public.

Thousands have visited the site, and we have since expanded the effort to include any new and urgent threats to help organizations and practitioners stay informed of emerging situations.

Just as the nation began adapting to the “new normal” ushered in by the pandemic, a raucous election season erupted, and foreign adversaries took to social media to spread false narratives and misinformation to influence, disrupt, and sow discord. Adversaries employed the same tactics during the 2016 presidential election, with Floridians a heavily targeted demographic. This time, we were ready.

Working with the Florida Supervisors of Elections and Secretary of State Laurel Lee, who was responsible for election security across the state, Cyber Florida assembled a group of experts from the University of South Florida and nearby U.S. Special Operations Command. Experts on political communications, Russian disinformation tactics, and vulnerable groups such as first-time voters, and Latin-American and African-American communities contributed to the project.

With input from Secretary Lee, the group identified the most urgent social-media-based election security threats and most vulnerable audiences and crafted messaging that would resonate with those audiences to help battle misinformation.

Cyber Florida then implemented a digital media campaign that featured video messages from Secretary Lee and Cyber Florida’s friendly robot mascot, Pixel. The campaign reached more than 1.6 million Floridians, with first-time voters as the most engaged group, clicking more than any other group to visit their local Supervisor of Elections website for current, valid voting information.

CYBER FLORIDA | 16

Great Power Competition Conference The most far-reaching and influential outreach event conducted by the Center in 2021–2022 was the Great Power Competition Conference, held virtually on April 15 and 16. Historically hosted by the University of South Florida College of Arts and Sciences, this biannual event is funded by the U.S. Department of Defense’s Near East South Asia Institute for Strategic Studies to explore the complex issues influencing the global power struggle between the United States and near-peer adversaries like Russia, China, and Iran. With cybersecurity as the topic for spring 2021, the College of Arts & Sciences joined forces with Cyber Florida to create an extraordinary agenda that was both timely and prescient, beginning with a review of the most urgent threats facing our nation and progressing into a penetrating examination of our Nation’s response options and obligations in this space. Venerated experts from leading international organizations and the highest federal and military offices discussed and debated the technical, political, cultural, and ethical implications of our various response options.

The world-class event featured an unparalleled lineup of cybersecurity luminaries, including keynote speaker General Paul M. Nakasone, USA, Commander, U.S. Cyber Command and Director, National Security Agency/ Chief, Central Security Service; General K. Frank McKenzie, Jr., Commander, U.S. Central Command; General Richard D. Clarke, Commander, U.S. Special Operations Command; Senator Mark Warner (VA-D), Chair of the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence; Senator Marco Rubio (FL-R), Vice-Chair of the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence; and Chris Inglis, newly appointed National Cyber Director to President Biden, among other noteworthy dignitaries.

This triumphant event served as a platform for the Center to establish stronger relationships with key players in the international cybersecurity world and to communicate our intention to have an active voice in this space. We continue to build these relationships with military and federal partners who share our commitment to improved national cybersecurity, enabling the Center to contribute to the national policy conversation, reach a broader audience, and further position Florida as a national leader in cybersecurity policy, research, education, and employment.

OUTREACH: ON THE HORIZON • Launching an Executive Education program to empower C-suite leaders and board members with the knowledge and skills needed to help protect the integrity, security, and confidentiality of their organization’s data • Expanding in-person cyber awareness workshops for small businesses (in partnership with the Florida Small Business Development Center) and local governments (in partnership with the Florida League of Cities, the Florida Association of Counties, the Florida City and County Managers Association, and the Florida Local Government Information Systems Association) • Initiating a fund-raising strategy to provide pathways for private organizations to help support Cyber Florida programs throughout the state.

• Expanding the Florida CyberHub to make cyber range training available to local government IT specialists, law enforcement officers, and others

17 | 2020 ANNUAL REPORT

BOARD OF ADVISORS

Dr. Kerry Buckley

Frank J. Cilluffo

Mark G. Clancy

Dr. Tony Coulson

Vice President The Mitre Corporation

Director Auburn University Institute for Cyber & Critical Infrastructure Security

Chief Executive Officer Authoriti Network, Inc.

Executive Director Cybersecurity Center California State University, San Bernardino

Edward “Ed” Giorgio

Patrick “Pat” Gorman

HON Leslie Ireland

Executive Vice President & Partner Booz Allen Hamilton

CitiGroup Board of Directors

Lt. General Kenneth “Ken” Minihan

Former Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Intelligence and Analysis

US Airforce (Ret.) Managing Director Paladin Capital Group

Founder Bridgery Technologies Former Chief Codemaker and Codebreaker, NSA

Christopher W. Day, CISSP, NSA-IEM VP of Cognitive Cyber ManTech

Brian Murphy CEO & Founder ReliaQuest

Former Director of the National Security Agency

CAPT Teresa “Terry” Williams Roberts Founder, President & CEO WhiteHawk, Inc.

Robert “Bob” Rose

Tony Sager

Peter Singer

VADM Jan Tighe

Founder & President Robert N. Rose Consulting, LLC

Senior VP & Chief Evangelist Center for Internet Security

Senior Fellow & Strategist New America Foundation

US Navy (Ret.) Goldman Sachs Board of Directors Former Commander of the Tenth Fleet/ Fleet Cyber Command (also change current to Goldman Sachs

Former Deputy Director of Naval Intelligence

CAPT Paul Tortora (Ret) Director Center for Cyber Security Studies US Naval Academy

Andy Zolper Chief Information Security Officer & Head of Technology Infrastructure Raymond James Financial

CYBER FLORIDA | 18

SUS GOVERNING COUNCIL Dr. Youssif Al-Nashif

Sastry Pamidi, PhD, MBA Associate Director, Center for Advanced Power Systems FAMU-FSU College of Engineering

Associate Professor, Electrical & Computer Engineering Florida Polytechnic University

Dr. Edoardo Persichetti

Dr. Richard Alo

Assistant Professor of Mathematical Sciences Florida Atlantic University

Dean, College of Science and Technology Florida A&M University

Dr. Mark Tehranipoor

Dr. Robert Bishop Dean, College of Engineering University of South Florida

Dr. Eman El-Sheikh

Director, Florida Institute for Cybersecurity Research University of Florida

Dr. Chris Westley Dean, Lutgert College of Business Florida Gulf Coast University

Director, University of West Florida Center for Cybersecurity University of West Florida

Brian Fonseca Director, Cybersecurity@FIU Florida International University

Dr. Michael Georgiopoulos Dean, College of Engineering and Computer Science University of Central Florida

SENIOR LEADERSHIP TEAM HON J. Michael McConnell, VADM, USN, Ret. Executive Director

Dean, FSU Panama City and College of Applied Studies Florida State University

Former Director of US National Intelligence Former Director of the National Security Agency Chair Emeritus, National Intelligence University Foundation

Kathy Hebda

Dr. Ron Sanders

Dr. Randy Hanna

Chancellor, Division of Florida Colleges Florida Department of Education

Dr. Sam Huckaba Dean, College of Arts and Sciences Florida State University

Dr. Huzefa Kagdi Chair/Professor, U.A. Whitaker College of Engineering Florida Gulf Coast University

Dr. William Klostermeyer Dean, College of Computing, Engineering and Construction University of North Florida

Staff Director Former Associate Director of U.S. National Intelligence

Anthony Urbanovich

Chief Technology Officer

Ernie Ferraresso

Associate Director for Programs and Partnerships

Kate Whitaker

Assistant Director of Communications and Outreach

Evelyn Curry

Assistant Director of Business Operations and Strategy

C Y B E R F LO R I D A . O R G | 8 1 3 - 9 74 -2 6 0 4 | 4 2 0 2 E . F O W L E R AV E . , TA M PA , F L 3 3 6 2 0