Jennifer Kleman

How Cyber Florida’s SOCAP Helped Erika Delvalle Launch Her Cybersecurity Career

When Erika Delvalle crossed the stage to receive her diploma from the University of South Florida in December, she wasn’t just closing a chapter; she was already deep into the next one. Now a full-time cybersecurity advisor at Rapid7, Erika helps organizations strengthen their security postures using tools like InsightIDR and InsightVM. However, she credits much of her early success to the experience and exposure she gained through Cyber Florida’s SOCAP (Security Operations Center Apprenticeship Program).

Real-World Skills, Real-World Confidence

SOCAP gave Erika more than just a preview of what life in cybersecurity could look like; it gave her a running start. During her time in the program, Erika helped write and distribute monthly threat hunting reports to government agencies, gaining valuable experience in technical analysis and professional communication.

“That experience gave me the confidence to write full reports and share them with external partners,” she recalled. “That was the moment I felt ready for the real world. It showed me I could handle the technical side and clearly explain what I found.”

She also became familiar with industry-standard tools like Splunk, CrowdStrike, and Recorded Future—knowledge that has translated directly into her current role.

“Much of what I do now is rooted in what I learned in SOCAP. The hands-on practice helped me hit the ground running.”

A Day in the Life at Rapid7

In her new role at Rapid7, no two days are the same. Erika works closely with clients to ensure they understand how to get the most out of their security tools while staying on top of constant product updates and industry developments.

“I spend a lot of time answering questions, helping clients troubleshoot, and collaborating with our SOC team to resolve any concerns,” she said. “There’s also a lot of learning—our tools evolve quickly, and I’ve had to develop strategies to keep up.”

Erika said she uses many methods to stay current, including watching videos, reading documentation, asking coworkers, and simply following her curiosity.

Building a Strong Foundation

While many of the incidents she deals with—such as phishing attempts or user authentication issues—may seem routine, Erika knows how critical the fundamentals are.

“Most challenges I see are about getting the basics right,” she said. “Things like user awareness, multi-factor authentication, and general security hygiene go a long way. My job is to help clients improve those areas and get more out of the tools they’re using.”

SOCAP’s emphasis on foundational skills made that transition smoother.

“If there’s one thing I wish I had done differently,” she reflected, “it’s diving deeper into the tools we had access to. There’s so much more under the surface, and those extra layers of understanding would be even more useful now.”

Advice for the Next Generation

To current SOCAP students and aspiring cybersecurity professionals, Erika offers practical advice: keep an open mind.

“Say yes to new opportunities even if they aren’t your dream job right away,” she said. “Everything teaches you something. Use outside resources like CTFs, certifications, or conferences to determine what you enjoy.”

And don’t underestimate the human side of the job.

“One thing that surprised me was how important it is to build personal connections. Before we dive into technical problems, we always check in and ask how the client’s day is going. It sets the tone.”

Looking Ahead

Erika sees herself continuing to grow within the blue team, focused on defense, incident response, and helping others understand the value of strong security practices. She’s also eyeing certifications from CISA and SANS as part of her professional development.

“I feel good about where I’m at, but there’s always room to grow,” she said. “I’d like to eventually move into a more technical SOC or support role and keep impacting that way.”

Life Outside the SOC

When she’s not helping organizations defend against cyber threats, Erika finds a different kind of freedom on two wheels.

“I got into motorcycles last summer after seeing a bunch of videos in my feed,” she said with a laugh. “It’s such a fun and relaxing way to take a break from work. Plus, it’s a great excuse to explore Florida and find new food spots.”

Erika Delvalle’s journey—from SOCAP apprentice to trusted cybersecurity advisor—is a testament to the power of experiential learning and the importance of mentorship, tools, and real-world practice. Her story is a shining example of how Cyber Florida’s mission to develop a skilled cyber workforce is making a tangible difference, one career at a time.

Sustainable, Hands-on and Multi-disciplinary Cybersecurity Skills Training to Meet Workforce Needs of Critical Infrastructure Sectors in Florida

A Report of Project Progress by Cyber Florida at USF

In Spring 2024, Cyber Florida was awarded a two-year, $200,000 grant from National Institute of Standards and Technology for their project – “Sustainable, Hands-on and Multi-disciplinary Cybersecurity Skills Training to Meet Workforce Needs of Critical Infrastructure Sectors in Florida” as part of their Regional Alliances and Multistakeholder Partnerships to Stimulate (RAMPS) Cybersecurity Education and Workforce Development (RAMPS Program).

The overall goals of the project are a) solicit core cybersecurity workforce needs both within and across various critical infrastructure (CI) sectors in Florida; b) analyze and summarize findings across entry level workforce needs; c) design a semester-level and practical/ hands-on cybersecurity training program for students that is to meet entry-level CI workforce needs; d) connect the first cohort of trained students to critical infrastructure sectors via interns and full-time positions; e) evaluate outcomes across multiple metrics including student self-assessment, industry expert assessment, program sustainability and scalability across institutions and CI sectors in FL.

Based on survey responses, we identified tangible gaps in entry level workforce needs across CI sectors in Florida in a broad sense, and started designing a 14 weeks hands on training program for students. The program was also designed keeping in mind the components of the Workforce Framework for Cybersecurity (NICE Framework) published on March 5, 2024 by NIST. The framework is publicly available at and contains Task, Knowledge, and Skill (TKS) Statements; Work Role Categories and Work Roles; and Competency Areas in the realm of cybersecurity workforce. The framework is available at https://www.nist.gov/itl/applied-cybersecurity/nice/nice-framework-resource-center.

We recruited our first cohort of five students for this semester-level program from the newly formed Bellini College of AI, Cybersecurity and Computing (CAICC) at the University of South Florida in January 2025. The five students went through our 14 week program centered on three foundational pillars – a) Basic Security Blue Team Level 1 (BTL1) Training for one month; b) Industrial Control Systems Foundational Course via the Aligned Realistic Cyberattack Simulation (ARCS) platform offered by SimSpace for one month; and c) ICS/SCADA Security Essentials course offered by the SANS institute. Students are eligible for a BTL1 certificate, and a Global Industrial Cyber Security Professional Certification (GICSP) in Industrial Control Systems upon completing a) and c). In addition, throughout the program, students are exposed to backdoors and breaches exercises, participate in mock security operations center (SOC) intelligence briefs, and also read state of the art research papers and trends in cyber centered critical infrastructure protection.

Multiple critical infrastructure entities in Florida participated in student engagement activities in Spring 2025. These include Tampa Airport, Tampa General Hospital, Talquin Coop and Seminole Electric. We have our next cohort of students starting in Fall 2025, and you are welcome to engage with Cyber Florida/ our students in the program. Post training, we expect our students to meet internship and entry-level workforce requirements in cybersecurity for critical infrastructure sectors in Florida.

CI Mapping

Cyber Florida has employed geospatial analytics and cybersecurity assessments to improve visibility into Florida’s vital infrastructure, enabling more effective coordination, risk mitigation, and rapid response efforts across state agencies.

Leveraging advanced technology to identify critical infrastructures significantly improves state leadership’s situational awareness and decision-making in all-hazards planning and preparedness.

Critical Infrastructure Protection Program Timeline