Jennifer Kleman

Thank You for Making CyberBay Summit 2025 a Success!

What an incredible week in Tampa Bay! CyberBay Summit 2025 brought together hundreds of cybersecurity professionals, innovators, educators, and students to explore the future of digital resilience and collaboration.

From thought-provoking keynotes and hands-on technical workshops to the buzzing energy of the exhibit floor, the conversations and connections made this year proved that Florida’s cybersecurity ecosystem is stronger and more united than ever.

A heartfelt thank you to all our attendees, speakers, exhibitors, and sponsors for making this year’s summit possible. Your expertise, enthusiasm, and partnership drive our shared mission to build a safer, more secure digital future for all.

We’re already looking ahead to what’s next, so stay tuned for details on CyberBay Summit 2026. Follow the CyberBay movement on LinkedIn.

Thank you to our friends at Bay News 9 Spectrum News for covering CyberBay Summit 2025.

Cybersecurity experts gather for inaugural ‘Cyber Bay’ event

This news segment was picked up and ran in the Rochester, San Antonio, Buffalo, Austin, and Central Florida Spectrum News markets!

USF University Communications and Marketing covered the event as well: Simulated cyberattack, national security highlight inaugural CyberBay conference.

Survey reveals cost, complexity, talent shortages are leaving SMBs and public sector organizations dangerously under-protected

Tampa Bay, FL — September 25, 2025 — Cyber threats are escalating in scale and sophistication. Yet our defenses remain siloed, expensive, and out of reach for a wide range of organizations. The newly released 2025 CyberBay Report, based on insights from hundreds of IT and cybersecurity professionals, sounds the alarm and issues an urgent call to action for the private sector, educators, and cyber defenders to step forward and lead.

Download the 2025 CyberBay Report.

As artificial intelligence accelerates digital integration, the risks to and both private- and public-sector organizations are intensifying. Small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), which serve as the backbone of the economy, are left with tools they can’t afford, talent they can’t find, and systems that can’t keep up.

A System Under Siege

The CyberBay Report found that:

• 80.1% report a shortage of skilled professionals
• 81.3% cite organizational gaps in policy, behavior, and security culture
• 74.5% say undergraduate curricula are missing essential job-ready content
• 80.2% say cybersecurity tools are too expensive
• 71.9% find tools fragmented and poorly integrated
• 62.9% say professional training programs fall short of evolving demands

The results provide a strategic blueprint for filling gaps in the cybersecurity ecosystem. To protect our infrastructure, economy, and future, we must shift from isolated fixes to system-level transformation.

1. Democratize Cybersecurity Solutions

Affordability and usability are no longer optional. We must build scalable, AI-augmented defenses that even the smallest organizations can deploy.

2. Prioritize Cyber Defense as a Business Imperative

The private sector must lead—not with gated solutions, but with open collaboration, public-private partnerships, and investment in real-world resilience.

3. Elevate Education as a Strategic Asset

Cybersecurity education must evolve from theory-heavy programs to hands-on, threat-ready training that begins early and mirrors real-world challenges. Certification bodies, continuing education platforms, and vocational pipelines must align with the pace of escalating risk.

4. Activate a Culture of Readiness

Cybersecurity requires both the right toolset and the right mindset. Every organization needs policies, leadership buy-in, and cultural norms that reinforce vigilance. Readiness must replace awareness as the new standard.

CyberBay: The Movement Begins in Tampa

CyberBay, the Tampa-based cybersecurity collaborative, is proactively addressing the issue. By unifying private, public, and government sectors, CyberBay is democratizing cyber defense, prioritizing readiness over awareness, and training the next generation to meet the moment.

The inaugural CyberBay 2025 Summit will bring this mission to life. From October 13–15 in Tampa, FL, cybersecurity leaders, educators, technologists, and public sector champions will gather to build the future of cyber defense.

Register now at CyberBay.org and be part of the transformation.

Media Contacts:

Jennifer Kleman
Cyber Florida
jennifer437@cyberflorida.org

Christina Pandapas
Longview Strategies
cpandapas@longviewstrategies.com

printable version of press release

Enes “EJ” Bulut as a student in the SOCAP

From SOCAP to Security Engineer at TECO

At Cyber Florida, we believe hands-on experience is one of the most powerful tools for launching a successful cybersecurity career. Our Security Operations Center Apprenticeship Program (SOCAP) has helped many students build real-world skills while still in school. Enes “EJ” Bulut is a prime example.

Now, as a security engineer at the Cyber Fusion Center at TECO (Tampa Electric Company), Enes is a vital employee in keeping the organization’s systems secure. His work involves supporting and maintaining the tools used by TECO’s security analysts, including integrating new technologies, troubleshooting technical issues, and ensuring critical security systems are up to date.

But long before joining TECO, Enes was immersed in cybersecurity through SOCAP at the University of South Florida. The experience gave him more than just exposure—it gave him confidence.

“Working in SOCAP very early on in my time at USF, I had the opportunity to embrace the day-to-day routine of a security analyst,” he said. “From building cloud infrastructure in AWS to leading investigations that impacted USF’s security posture, I was learning how to apply my knowledge in real-world situations.”

Enes credits the SOCAP program with helping him understand both the technical and procedural sides of cybersecurity. He recalls managing AWS EC2 instances, responding to alerts, and taking the lead in incident response. Those experiences helped him hit the ground running after graduation.

Looking to the future, Enes sees himself growing further in the field of cloud security engineering, building on the foundations laid in the SOCAP program. With a strong technical base and a passion for learning, he’s on a clear path toward specialization.

And when he’s not keeping systems secure? You might just find him at the bowling alley as part of a bowling league.

We’re proud to celebrate Enes’s journey—and we can’t wait to see how far he’ll go!

More than 50 cybersecurity, technology, and computer science educators from 19 school districts across Florida came together for Cyber Florida’s OpK12 5th Annual Putts & PD event, a two-day professional development event focused on building cybersecurity education in K–12 schools.

Day one kicked off virtually with a robust webinar lineup featuring practical guidance on launching successful student internship programs, starting a CyberPatriot club, and accessing classroom funding through CAPE industry certifications. After a mid-day lunch break, participants tuned in for a live demonstration of Cyber Florida’s CyberHub virtual training range, explored free curriculum resources, and learned about offerings from CompTIA, Teaching Digital Natives, and Certiport.

Day two brought attendees together in person at Top Golf Tampa. AFCEA Central Florida announced a $20k mini-grant program for teachers in eligible districts. Prodigy Learning led a hands-on session showcasing the power of Minecraft Learning as a classroom tool for teaching coding and digital skills. Teach Cyber shared its valuable curriculum resources, and then the event concluded with lunch, networking, and complimentary golf, providing an energizing and memorable experience close to the professional development experience.

Sponsored by AFCEA Central Florida, the event reinforced Cyber Florida’s commitment to supporting and empowering educators as they prepare the next generation of cybersecurity professionals.