FLDOE Partnership: The Cyber/IT Pathways Grant Program (1.1)

Aligns to Florida Board of Governors strategic goal Community & Business Engagement>Increase Community & Business Workforce

Building on the success of Operation K12, the Florida Department of Education selected Cyber Florida to administer Cyber/I.T. Educational Pathways, a $20-million grant program to bolster cybersecurity and information technology educational opportunities at Florida’s public education institutions. To maximize the benefit of this investment, Cyber Florida determined that funding would be awarded to expand existing programs that had a demonstrated history of success. Working with regional partners Florida International University and Florida A&M University, Cyber Florida led an open call for proposals, which were reviewed and scored by a team of technology education experts. Reviewers prioritized projects that had demonstrated success, could scale to serve more students, and had the potential for long-term sustainability.

A few of the projects that were awarded funding include

• Project HaHa

Florida International University

• Expanding Cybersecurity & IT Pathways

Miami Dade College

• First Coast Cybersecurity & IT Pathways Project

Florida State College at Jacksonville

• Increasing Cyber Technicians 2022 Hillsborough Community College

• Hal Marcus College of Science & Engineering

University of West Florida

• Cloud Computing Initiative St. Petersburg College

• Minecraft-based Cybersecurity Professional Development for K12 Teachers

Florida International University

• CyberSkills2Work Florida/Center for Cybersecurity

University of West Florida

• Palm Beach Collaborative Cyber Pathway Project

Palm Beach State College

• Expanding Cybersecurity & IT Pathways Hillsborough County Public Schools

• Hybrid-honeynet platform for CTI education

University of North Florida

Cybersecurity Pathway for Public and Nonprofit Organizations

Florida International University

• State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota Cyber/IT Pathway State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota

St. Lucie County School Board Cybersecurity at LPA St. Lucie County School Board

• Cyber Security Lab Florida Gateway College

• Enhancing the Growth and Quality of Cybersecurity Programs (EGQCP)

Florida Polytechnic University

• Expanding the pipeline of the Cyber/IT workforce

University of South Florida

Applied Cybersecurity Fundamentals Continuing Education

Cape Coral Technical College

• CAREERS in Cybersecurity

Florida Atlantic University

Towards Empowering the Next Generation of Cyber Professionals/Pathways

University of South Florida

• Cyber Threat Intelligence Fellowship Program

Florida International University

The Modernization of Digital Information Technology

University of South Florida

Cybercrime Investigation Training for Florida Law Enforcement Officers

University of South Florida

Cybersecurity Professional Pathways for Women and URM

Florida A&M University

The Florida CyberHub (1.1, 1.2)

Aligns to Florida Board of Governors strategic goals Teaching & Learning> Increase Degree Productivity & Program Efficiency and Scholarship, Research & Innovation>Increase Research Activity & Attract More External Funding

The Florida CyberHub is a cloud-based platform to support cybersecurity education and research throughout the state. Offering desktop-as-a-service, a secure sandbox, and course-related labs and activities, the CyberHub provides resources for several higher education cyber programs and is integral to supporting Operation K12.

• The CyberHub grows by roughly 4,000 users per year, serving more than 13,000 students in the 2021-2022 academic year.

Creating More Options for Master’s Students (1.2)

Aligns to Florida Board of Governors strategic goals Teaching & Learning>Strengthen Quality & Reputation of Academic Programs & Universities and Increase Degree Productivity & Program Efficiency

In 2020-2021, Cyber Florida initiated the process of transforming the University of South Florida’s (U.S.F.) online M.S. in Cybersecurity program and its four concentrations into four distinct master’s degree programs. As the cybersecurity field has evolved, employer needs have shifted from cybersecurity generalists to cybersecurity specialists, professionals with advanced knowledge and skills in targeted areas. In 2021-2022, the process was completed, and U.S.F. began accepting students into four new master’s programs.

• The College of Arts & Sciences launched the M.S. in Cyber Intelligence and Information Security. The College of Behavioral Sciences enhanced the M.S. in Cybercrime with concentrations in cyber criminology and digital forensic investigations.

• The Muma College of Business unveiled the M.S. in Information Assurance & Cybersecurity Management.

• The College of Engineering launched the M.S.C.Y.S. (M.S. in Cybersecurity).