News

Do We Belong Here? – Available now wherever you listen to podcasts

Do We Belong Here is a podcast dedicated to proving that EVERYONE has a place in the world of cybersecurity. Hosted by Tashya Denose, the Cyber Whisperer, Pam Lindemoen, the Chief Information Security Officer Advisor at Cisco, and produced by Cyber Florida’s Sarina Gandy, our show focuses on highlighting the industry leaders who are working to make cybersecurity a more inclusive and welcoming place, and having open conversations to show that we are never alone in our struggles.

2023-05-30T13:03:15-04:00October 13, 2022|
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Aviation ISAC – Student Cyber Challenge

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2023-01-19T12:31:42-05:00October 5, 2022|
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2022 TECH MATCH – Networking Event

2022-10-28T16:14:18-04:00September 26, 2022|
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International Cyber League: Collegiate Cup Open for Registration!

College whitehatters: don’t miss out on the International Cyber League Collegiate Cup competition!

What is ICL: Collegiate Cup?

With so many cyber security competitions being offered for students, why is ICL unique and how does it serve the needs of students and higher education institutions?

The next-gen information security expert is no longer a technical expert, focused on configuring tools or blocking malicious IP’s, today’s cyber defenders require a first responder skill set. They are expected to possess a broad set of skills that includes cybersecurity controls, recent threat vectors, the MITRE ATT&CK Framework, cloud security, malware analysis, incident response, threat hunting, regulation, and compliance. They need soft skills like teamwork, communication, and critical thinking. But education programs have not changed and are still focused on network security, IT skills and ethical hacking, suitable for the cyber expert of yesterday. Once hired, these graduates spend months learning on the job before they are operational.

The ICL: Collegiate Cup was created to immerse students in real-world attacks, just like the ones they will experience on the job.

Unlike conventional competitions, ICL Collegiate Cup does not focus on hacking, basic network security or IT skills, but on cyber defense and incident response skills. For the first time, students will know if they are truly job ready, and will be challenged in hyper-realistic attack scenarios that will require the full set of skills they will need on the job, including: technical skills, teamwork skills, even using commercial security tools like a SIEM, firewall, and endpoint security tools.

Teams who will succeed at ICL can confidently say they are prepared for a career in cyber defense.

How Does ICL Work?

The ICL competition will consist of 2 rounds, taking place on Cyberbit’s hyper-realistic cyber range.

In the first round, each team member will complete a 1-hour challenge (“cyber lab”) as an individual. Top teams will move on to the final round, consisting of a three-hour, live-fire team challenge that simulates an end-to-end cyber-attack. Students will demonstrate their ability to detect, investigate and respond to a cyber-attack using the tools of the trade, as well as their ability to work as a team, communicate, work under pressure, and demonstrate critical thinking.

The tournament is open for students from anywhere around the world who are enrolled in a bachelor’s or associate cyber security program at an institution of higher learning at least through November 30th, 2022. The winners will proudly wear the title of “Higher Education’s Best Cyber Defense Team”.

Registration closes October 8, 2022!
Learn more & register
2022-10-18T17:06:27-04:00August 23, 2022|
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2022 National Cybersecurity Virtual Career Fair

The 6th annual National Cybersecurity Virtual Career Fair, sponsored by the National Cybersecurity Training and Education (NCyTE) Center and the CAE in Cybersecurity Community, is right around the corner! Our career fair brings together students and alumni from over 380 institutions across the Nation designated as Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity with employers offering apprenticeships, internships, and full-time employment. This year, the National Cybersecurity Virtual Career Fair will take place on September 16th, 2022, from 9am to 1pm PT.

Each year, the number of undergraduate and graduate students and alumni participating in this event continues to grow. Participants come from a variety of disciplines, including cybersecurity, national security studies, computer science, engineering, math, physics, and project management. Students from CAEs in Research (CAE-R), Cyber Defense (CAE-CD), and Cyber Operations (CAE-CO) are invited to participate for FREE.
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2022-09-19T04:42:40-04:00August 19, 2022|
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RING High School Cybersecurity Course Open for Enrollment

High school students: the RING program is now accepting student enrollment requests for its FREE online cybersecurity course!

RING (Regions Investing in the Next Generation) is an online high school cybersecurity course that offers interesting and engaging content specifically for students and schools without an existing cybersecurity program. RING aims to mentor students down their career path, instilling ethics and pride in their profession along the way. RING is more than a collection of labs and presentations–it’s forging the tools that will shape the next generation of cybersecurity experts.

  • Students can achieve high school credit for RING in participating states.
  • Students can engage with each other and network with cyber professionals through the RING student organization.
  • A pilot course is being offered August 2021 through May 2022. The RING curriculum will officially launch in summer 2022.
Who are the Partner Institutions?

RING is funded through NSA CAE-C K12 Pathway grants. The list of involved institutions are:

  • The University of Alabama in Huntsville coalition:
    • Coastline Community College
    • Dakota State University
    • Pace University
    • Purdue University Northwest
    • Dark Enterprises
  • Moraine Valley Community College coalition:
    • Forsyth Technical Community College
    • Brookdale Community College
    • Florida State College at Jacksonville
    • Cal Poly Pomona
    • Eastern New Mexico University Ruidoso
learn more and enroll
Want more information?

Are you an Instructor that is interested in learning more about this program and would like to be involved?
Follow this link to fill out an interest form for Teachers and academia.

Are you a current or prospective student wanting to learn more about what this program has to offer?
Follow this link to fill out an interest form for Students, Parents, and Guardians.

2022-08-15T12:45:03-04:00August 15, 2022|
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Student Loan Forgiveness Scams Are On The Rise

There’s no question that student loan debt is a major problem for many people in the U.S. In fact, researchers estimate that there are currently more than 44 million Americans with student loan debt, and the average U.S. household that has student loan debt owes just over $57,000. With so much debt, it’s no wonder that there are people out there who are looking for ways to get rid of it. And that’s where student loan forgiveness scams come in.

There are a lot of companies and individuals out there who claim they can help you get your student loans forgiven. But the truth is, most of these offers are too good to be true. And if you’re not careful, you could end up getting scammed.

Recognizing a Federal Student Loan Forgiveness Scam

There are a few different types of student loan forgiveness scams out there. Here are three of the most common:

The company promises loan forgiveness for a fee. This is probably the most common type of scam. But the truth is, you don’t need to pay anyone to get your loans forgiven. The government has a number of programs that can help you get rid of your debt, and you can apply for them for free.

The company promises to lower your monthly payments. This is something you can do for free. There are a number of government programs that can help you lower your payments, and you don’t need to pay anyone to access them.

The company promises to consolidate your loans. This can be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on the interest rate you’re currently paying. If you’re consolidating your loans at a lower interest rate, it can save you money. But if you’re consolidating your loans at a higher interest rate, it could end up costing you more in the long run.

If you’re considering student loan forgiveness watch out for:

  1. Guarantees: Be wary of any company or individual that promises to guarantee your student loan forgiveness. The truth is, there’s no such thing as guaranteed student loan forgiveness. So if someone tells you they can guarantee it, they’re probably lying.
  2. Upfront Fees: You should never have to pay any upfront fees for student loan repayment assistance. If someone asks you to pay an upfront fee, it’s a good sign that they’re a scammer.
  3. High Pressure Sales Tactics: Be wary of anyone who’s pressuring you to sign up for their program or make a decision right away. If someone is trying to rush you, it’s likely because they’re not legitimate.
  4. Promises of Quick Forgiveness: Be careful of anyone who promises quick and easy student loan forgiveness. The truth is, the process can take years. So if someone tells you they can get your loans forgiven quickly, they’re probably not being honest.
  5. Outrageous Claims: Be skeptical of anyone who makes outrageous claims about student loan forgiveness. For example, if someone tells you that you can have your loans forgiven in a matter of weeks, it’s probably too good to be true.

Immediate Action Steps

If you think you may have been a victim of a student loan forgiveness scam, it is important to take action right away to protect yourself and your finances. Here are some steps to take if you are scammed:

  • Contact the three major credit agencies: Equifax, Experian and Transunion. Although loan scammers mostly focus on the fees, your personal information is in danger. Consider placing a freeze or fraud alert on your credit report. This will prohibit the scammer from opening new accounts in your name.
  • Call your bank or credit card company right away if you paid a fee using your debit or credit card. By immediately reporting the transaction as fraudulent, you might be able to prevent paying the fee. They can also help you change any compromised accounts.
  • Get in touch with your official loan servicer. They will be able to help guide you to secure your account and can help you with repayment.
  • Update your FSA ID password right away if you gave the scam company your FSA ID.

Reporting the Scams

Reporting student loan forgiveness scams is crucial to helping others avoid being scammed. As a society, the more people that report online scams and fraud, the more national reporting data that is collected, and the better chance law enforcement has to catch the criminals and decrease cybercrime.

Whether you provided financial or personal information to scammers or not, report the incident to the following authorities:

  • The Internet Crime Complaint Center: The IC3 will review your report and refer it to the appropriate federal, state, local and international agencies if necessary.
  • Consumer Finance Protection Bureau: While the CFPB might now be able to help with specific case, they will use your complaint to shut down fraudulent companies.
  • Your State Attorney General: Many State Attorney Generals take student loan forgiveness scams very seriously.

Find Legitimate Help for Student Loan Forgiveness

There are a number of government programs that help with loan forgiveness. And you can access these programs for free. So there’s no need to pay anyone for help. The U.S. Department of Education (ED) offers free and legitimate student loan forgiveness programs. Contact your official loan servicer to find out if you qualify.

If you’re considering student loan forgiveness, make sure you do your research and be careful of scams. There are a lot of companies and individuals out there who will try to take advantage of you. But if you’re aware of the signs of a scam, you can protect yourself.

To learn more about other scams affecting students, visit our education/scholarship scams page.

Article retrieved from Fight Cybercrime. View the original article: https://fightcybercrime.org/blog/student-loan-forgiveness-scams-are-on-the-rise/

2022-10-27T11:17:17-04:00August 11, 2022|
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TechNet International 2022 International Military & Collegiate Capture the Flag Competition

Calling all cyber educators, cyber students and/or colleagues to join Parsons for the AFCEA TechNet International Military and Collegiate Capture the Flag (CTF) at the Georgia Cyber Center or virtually on August 16th from 10am EST – 2pm EST.

The International Military and Collegiate Level CTF will be a jeopardy-style event. Military and college teams from across the world will compete highlighting their skills, resiliency, and achievements. Topics covered for this event will include Binary Exploitation, Reverse Engineering, Web Exploitation, Cryptography, Forensics, and Security. 

Learn more & register

Want another opportunity to participate? Sign up for the TechNet Augusta Research Poster Show on August 17, 2022 from 5pm EST – 6:30pm EST. Students can attend (registration is free) as participants in the Cyber Research Poster Show by presenting a research poster or conducting a CYBER demonstration. Interested students and their mentors should fill out the poster show registration form and return it to the USARMY Ft Gordon CYBER COE Academic Outreach Team at: usarmy.gordon.cyber-coe.mbx.g357-outreach@army.mil

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2022-09-19T04:42:11-04:00August 1, 2022|
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Cyber Educators: The UPDATED Cyber Citizenship Education Portal is Now Live!

Attention all K12 educators: The NEW AND UPDATED Cyber Citizenship Initiative site is now LIVE! The new site has over 1,000 resources for teaching K-12 students about misinformation and disinformation, as well as online communities for educators to join, collaborate, and curate content.

Available Resources:

  • Courses, lesson plans, and reading.
  • Assignments and case studies for independent work.
  • Games and interactive activities for engaged learning.
  • A curated catalog of trusted partners and resources to support media literacy, cybersecurity awareness, and digital civics education.
  • Groups to collaborate with peers within your school, library, or university. Create, evaluate, and share resources in a private or open environment.
  • And more!
Visit the Resources Portal
About the Cyber Citizenship Initiative

The Cyber Citizenship Initiative began as a platform to help resolve challenges with misinformation and online polarization occurring at the intersection of media literacy, digital civics and citizenship, and cybersecurity, with a special focus on aiding K-12 teachers. The ultimate goal of the project is to support educators seeking to build students’ resilience against the new challenges and threats of the digital world through an online portal consisting of a (1) repository of vetted resources from across the internet, (2) space to build an active virtual community of educators and resource reviewers, (3) and provide a series of live and pre-recorded online trainings.

Project partners for the initiative include Cyber Florida, the Florida Center for Instructional Technology (FCIT), National Association for Media Literacy Education (NAMLE) and New America. Check out the new site at www.cybercitizenshipeducation.org

Want to get involved? Educators can create and upload learning modules, lessons, assignments, assessments, or activities to share with other educators within the portal. To learn more, visit: https://cybercitizenshipeducation.org/authoring-overview

2023-04-05T17:28:14-04:00July 20, 2022|
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Cyber Florida Staff Director Dr. Ron Sanders Retires

July 18, 2022—TAMPA, FL: After helping to oversee a period of rapid change and dramatic growth at the Florida Center for Cybersecurity (also known as Cyber Florida), Staff Director Ron Sanders, DPA, has announced his retirement. Dr. Sanders first served as a member of the Board of Advisors upon the center’s founding in 2013. In 2020, he was brought on as staff director under former Executive Director Mike McConnell, VADM, USN, Ret., who has also recently retired. During his tenure as staff director, Dr. Sanders championed several new initiatives that garnered national recognition for the center and helped secure significant new funding for a series of efforts to improve the state’s overall cybersecurity posture.

“I am grateful to Dr. Sanders for his many notable contributions to this organization,” said the center’s new executive director, General (Retired) Frank McKenzie. He continued, “His leadership was instrumental in elevating Cyber Florida to national prominence, and together, he and VADM McConnell built an impressive legacy. I’m proud to carry on the remarkable momentum they created and wish Dr. Sanders well in retirement.”

Dr. Sanders’ career includes nearly three decades of decorated civil service. Among his many accomplishments, he helped lead the historic post-Cold War transformation of the U.S. Defense Department and the post-9/11 stand-up of the Department of Homeland Security and the Office of National Intelligence. He managed the recruiting, development, and deployment of thousands of new intelligence officers to fight the Global War on Terror and the restructuring of the IRS. He helped establish the United Arab Emirates’ cybersecurity and space agencies and China’s National School of Administration. He was also a presidential appointee, serving as chair of the U.S. Federal Salary Council from 2017 to 2020.

Dr. Sanders is the recipient of three Presidential Rank Awards (from DOD, IRS, and the U.S. Office of Personnel Management), two Teddy Roosevelt Distinguished Public Service Awards, and the National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal. He is the author of four books and has served on the faculty of several distinguished institutions, including George Washington University, The Brookings Institution, and the University of South Florida.

During his tenure with Cyber Florida, he led the transformation of the University of South Florida’s online M.S. in Cybersecurity into four independent cyber-focused master’s degree programs to better align with employer needs. He advocated for the launch of the center’s highly successful Operation K12 program, and his passion for public service led him to create the Cyber Citizenship Education initiative, designed to teach K-12 students to navigate online misinformation and disinformation, among other accomplishments.

ABOUT CYBER FLORIDA

The Florida Center for Cybersecurity, also known as Cyber Florida, was established by the Florida Legislature in 2014 to help position Florida as a national leader in cybersecurity through education, research, and outreach. Hosted by the University of South Florida, Cyber Florida leads a spectrum of initiatives to inspire and educate future and current professionals, support industry-advancing research, and help people and organizations better understand cyber threats and what they can do to stay safer in cyberspace.

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2022-07-18T09:43:13-04:00July 18, 2022|
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Copyright 2024 The Florida Center for Cybersecurity. Information on this website is made available for general educational purposes only and should not be used in lieu of obtaining competent legal advice from a licensed attorney or cybersecurity professional with sufficient expertise necessary to address your specific needs. Use of this website does not create any special or fiduciary relationship between you and the Florida Center for Cybersecurity or the University of South Florida.