Cyber Florida, Author at Cyber Florida at USF

Vice Admiral (Ret.) J. Michael “Mike” McConnell
Vice Admiral (Ret.) J. Michael “Mike” McConnell

Vice Admiral (Ret.) J. Michael “Mike” McConnell

J. Michael “Mike” McConnell, VADM, USN, Retired, served as Executive Director of Cyber Florida from 2019 to 2022. Previously, he has served as Director of the National Security Agency (DIRNSA) and Director of US National Intelligence (DNI) under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama and as Vice Chairman of Booz Allen Hamilton.

With a 50-year career focused on international and foreign intelligence, Vice Adm. McConnell brings a depth of knowledge and experience acquired from service in both the public and private sectors. His 29-year career as a US Navy intelligence officer included significant assignments that impacted national security. During Operation Desert Storm and the dissolution of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s, Vice Adm. McConnell served as the Intelligence Officer for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Colin Powell, and the Secretary of Defense, Dick Cheney.

From 1992 to 1996, he served as the Director of the National Security Agency (DIRNSA) under Presidents George H.W. Bush and William J. Clinton. As DIRNSA, he led the agency during a critical period as it adapted to the multi-polar threats brought about by the end of the Cold War, providing global intelligence and information security services to the White House, Cabinet officials, Congress, and a broad array of military and civil intelligence agencies.

After retiring from the US Navy in 1996, Vice Adm. McConnell joined Booz Allen Hamilton to lead development of the firm’s Information Assurance and Intelligence business, focused on policy, operations, transformation, homeland security, intelligence analytics, and counterterrorism.

Upon being asked by President George W. Bush in 2007 to become the second US Director of National Intelligence (DNI), he left Booz Allen to serve as the DNI, a position of Cabinet rank, and as a member of the White House National Security Council for two years under Presidents Bush and Obama. During this time, he successfully advocated for a multi-billion-dollar investment to substantially improve cybersecurity standards for the US—securing support from two US presidents and Congress.

As DNI, he managed the expansive national Intelligence Community— an organization with more than 100,000 people and an annual budget of over $50 billion—and he had extensive interactions with the White House, the Cabinet, Congress, international leaders, and the US business community.

In 2009, Vice Adm. McConnell returned to Booz Allen as Executive Vice President to lead the firm’s Intelligence business, and in 2011, he was elevated to the position of Vice Chairman of the firm, serving in that capacity until his retirement in 2014. He continues to serve as a Senior Executive Advisor for Booz Allen.

Vice Adm. McConnell’s interest since his service as Director of NSA in 1992–96 has been to improve the cybersecurity posture of businesses and government agencies around the world to better protect them from hackers, criminals, terrorists, and nation-states focused on economic espionage or destruction of vital data.

He serves on the US-based Board of Directors of Nokia for US-based business operations as well as the boards of numerous start-up companies that are developing technologies and capabilities for improved cybersecurity posture.

Vice Adm. McConnell served as the Chairman of the Board of Advisors for Cyber Florida from its founding in 2014 until 2020, when he was appointed executive director of the center by University of South Florida President Dr. Steven C. Currall. In 2024, Vice Adm. McConnell became Chair Emeritus for Cyber Florida at USF Board of Advisors.

In addition to having received many of the nation’s highest military awards for meritorious service, Vice Adm. McConnell has twice received the nation’s highest award for service in the US Intelligence Community—once from President Clinton and once from President George W. Bush. Vice Adm. McConnell has also served as the Chairman and CEO of the Intelligence and National Security Alliance (INSA), and he is the 2011 recipient of INSA’s William Oliver Baker Award, which is awarded annually for sustained and excellent service in intelligence and national security.

Vice Adm. McConnell holds an MPA degree from George Washington University, is a graduate of the National Defense University (Global Telecom) and the National Defense Intelligence College (Strategic Intelligence) and holds a BA in Economics from Furman University. A member of Phi Beta Kappa, Vice Adm. McConnell has been awarded several honorary doctorates, the most recent from the University of South Florida in 2016.

After more than five decades of distinguished public service, Vice Adm. McConnell has formally retired from public life. We at Cyber Florida at USF are eternally grateful for the critical role he played in establishing the organization and guiding its success.

Cyber Florida2024-09-25T14:00:24-04:00September 25, 2024|

CyberSecureFlorida Final Report Appendix

CyberSecureFlorida Final Report (June 2023) Digital Appendix

Appendix A: Complete Data Set

CIRA Data Set

Appendix B: Florida Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity Intelligence Assessment

Florida CI Cybersecurity Intelligence Assessment June 2023

Cyber Florida2024-09-25T13:34:10-04:00September 25, 2024|

USF CyberHerd Gets a Competitive Edge
USF CyberHerd Gets a Competitive Edge

USF CyberHerd Gets a Competitive Edge

The University of South Florida is leading the way in cybersecurity education as the largest university to integrate an industry-leading tool into its classrooms and curriculum. Known as Hack The Box, the cutting-edge platform equips cybersecurity students with hands-on experience in navigating real-world cybersecurity threats, preparing them for successful careers in the rapidly evolving field of cybersecurity.

“We are delighted to support this engagement with Hack The Box, which provides a world-class platform to teach and train USF students as the next generation of elite cyber warriors,” said retired Gen. Frank McKenzie, executive director of the USF Global and National Security Institute and Cyber Florida at USF.

“While imposter syndrome as a woman in cybersecurity is real—especially with so few women in my classes—I founded a Women in CyberSecurity chapter at USF to help change that. And as one of the first women to join CyberHerd, the team has truly helped me feel like I belong. My competitive nature has always driven me forward on my path, but it is my hope that along the way, I can clear it for other women to walk down it too,” said Brianna Deaubler, CyberHerd member and cybersecurity student.

Hack The Box features continuously updated modules that expose students to a wide range of cybersecurity threats to sharpen their offensive and defensive security expertise, ultimately enhancing their cyber-attack readiness. The rapidly evolving fields of cybersecurity will play a significant role in the formation of a new college at USF, which will also focus on artificial intelligence and computing – positioning the Tampa Bay region and state of Florida as a national leader for the technology and defense industries.

Read the full article at USF.edu>>https://www.usf.edu/news/2024/usf-cybersecurity-program-gives-students-a-competitive-edge-in-career-readiness.aspx.

Cyber Florida2024-09-18T10:49:39-04:00September 18, 2024|

Cyber Florida at USF 10th Anniversary Celebration Confirmation

Thank you for reserving your spot for our 10th Anniversary Celebration! An email with directions, parking details, etc., will be sent closer to the event date. We look forward to hosting you!

Cyber Florida2024-09-16T09:56:41-04:00September 16, 2024|

National Cyber Director Announces Service for America
National Cyber Director Announces Service for America

National Cyber Director Announces Service for America

Sept. 4, 2024—Washington, D.C.—Today, the White House Office of the National Cyber Director (ONCD), in partnership with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and Office of Personnel Management (OPM), is proud to announce Service for America, the Biden-Harris Administration’s recruiting, hiring, and engagement sprint aimed at preparing our country for a digitally enabled future by connecting Americans to good-paying, meaningful jobs in cyber.

The #ServiceForAmerica sprint is launched in support of the 2023 National Cyber Workforce and Education Strategy, a multi-pronged approach to expand the cyber workforce and education system to better prepare all Americans for jobs in cyber. The sprint will continue through Cybersecurity Awareness Month and highlight the importance of skills-based hiring and work-based learning opportunities to support expanding the cyber workforce in government and private industry.

Find out more about this launch at the ONCD blog and follow @ONCD on Twitter and LinkedIn for updates and amplification.

Cyber Florida2024-10-08T14:28:15-04:00September 4, 2024|

Enhancing CI Cyber Resilience through Maturity Modeling
Enhancing CI Cyber Resilience through Maturity Modeling

Enhancing CI Cyber Resilience through Maturity Modeling

31 July 2024 – Tampa, FL: In 2023, the Florida Center for Cybersecurity at the University of South Florida (aka Cyber Florida at USF) conducted a statewide analysis to assess the cyber readiness of Florida’s critical infrastructure (CI) providers across 16 critical infrastructure sectors. The study – conducted on behalf of the State Legislature in fulfillment of Appropriation 2944B – offered several recommendations to improve cyber resilience and protect Florida’s people, property, and prosperity. Among these recommendations was a call to “Adopt a Florida-specific cyber maturity model for critical infrastructure providers.” Since those recommendations were offered in July of 2023, subsequent cyberattacks against CI providers in Florida have led to data breaches and service disruptions across several critical infrastructure sectors, including healthcare5, education6, the judicial system7, and essential government services8. While a commitment to maturity modeling may not prevent every such incursion, it is a critical step in improving cyber readiness across the state’s critical infrastructure sectors. Maturity models offer organizations a means to assess essential practices and metrics to guide cyber-management decisions strategically. In short, maturity models – like the Balanced Scorecard – help organizations to systematically measure the systems, processes, and practices that determine their cyber health because what gets measured, gets managed.

In recognition of the critical role that cyber resilience plays in protecting Florida’s people, property, and prosperity, this policy brief provides an overview of maturity modeling as well as some suggested steps state leaders may consider to ensure that Florida’s critical infrastructure providers are measuring the right things and deliberately aligning organizational practices with their cyber-readiness goals. This report provides (1) a brief overview of how maturity models work, including a summary of the most commonly employed models in key CI sectors; (2) a review of current cyber vulnerabilities among Florida’s critical infrastructure providers as well as an analysis of how maturity modeling can help CI providers overcome these vulnerabilities; and (3) specific recommendations for integrating maturity modeling into Florida’s ongoing cybersecurity initiatives. While there is no one-size-fits-all solution that will serve the diversity of Florida’s critical infrastructure sectors adequately, the goal of this policy brief is to provide state leaders with practical, data-driven guidance so that they can drive data analysis efforts and better incentivize and support the state’s CI providers in these increasingly critical efforts.

Cyber Florida2024-07-31T15:07:34-04:00July 31, 2024|

chat:CYBR Podcast Episode 4: Dr. Stephen Neely
chat:CYBR Podcast Episode 4: Dr. Stephen Neely

chat:CYBR Podcast Episode 4: Dr. Stephen Neely

Dr. Stephen Neely, Associate Professor and Director of the Master of Public Administration program at the University of South Florida, discusses ransomware attacks and the need for ransomware readiness in organizations. Ransomware attacks use malicious software to gain unauthorized access to computer systems and demand a ransom in exchange for releasing information or restoring access. These attacks can have severe consequences, such as disrupting essential services and causing reputational damage. The conversation highlights the importance of closing the maturity gap for basic ransomware readiness and provides recommendations for the state legislature, including coordination, delegation, tracking progress, and providing informational and resource support. Cyber Florida is recognized as an organization that can play a significant role in society’s relationship with ransomware by providing at USF coordination, research support, technical support, and training for the future cyber workforce.

Cyber Florida2024-07-24T13:49:06-04:00July 22, 2024|