The Sunshine Cyber Conference is THE place to connect with Florida’s flourishing cybersecurity community. Cyber Florida at USF brings together a roster of world-class speakers and timely topics to explore the latest trends, challenges, and opportunities in cybersecurity for both technical practitioners and non-technical leaders alike. Our goal is an affordable, education-focused event that promotes ongoing connection, information-sharing, and community-building throughout Florida and beyond. Tracks and topics are tailored to meet the needs of small and medium-sized businesses as well as state, county, and local government organizations, offering a world-class cyber conference experience for Florida’s most vulnerable entities!
Sunshine Cyber Con 2024 Recap Video
NEW: TEST YOUR SKILLS IN THE PROVING GROUNDS CYBER COMPETITION AT SUNSHINE CYBER CON
- Individual Competition: Tuesday, Feb. 25, 10:00-11:00 AM
Test your red team skills in a simple, simulated environment. With multiple threads to pull on, this red-team challenge will require you to demonstrate your favorite tactics and techniques to gather shells and flags across the challenge field. Max 50 competitors. Prizes for 1st, 2nd, 3rd place winners! - Team Competition: Tuesday, Feb. 25, 1:00-3:00 PM
This capture-the-flag challenge employs Kibana, Hybrid Hunter, and other tools to find an infestation of ransomware in the company network and trace events back to the initial compromise. Max 5 people per team, up to 50 competitors total. Prizes for 1st, 2nd, 3rd place teams!
Select as a FREE registration add-on. Already registered and want to join in? Go to your Attendee Registration Portal and select “Add to your order” to sign up for the competition.
Announcing the 2025 Keynote Presentations
Day 1 Keynote Address: How to Hack Like a Failure (Like Me!) with Jayson E. Street
Jayson E. Street’s keynote address, “How to Hack Like a Failure (Like Me!),” will explore key insights into the hacking community with humor and hard truths. He will cover the misconceptions that fuel challenges within the hacking world, share unconventional ways he’s hacked into banks globally, and challenge elitist views on what it means to be a hacker. Expect a lively and thought-provoking talk, with a few surprises along the way!
Referred to as a “notorious hacker” by FOX25 Boston, a “World Class Hacker” by National Geographic Breakthrough Series. and a “paunchy hacker” by Rolling Stone Magazine, Jayson prefers if people refer to him simply as a Hacker, Helper & Human.
Day 2: Winn Schwartau + General (Ret.) Frank McKenzie Discuss The Art + Science of MetaWar
Since we last heard from Winn in 2024, his continued research while writing his newly published book, The Art & Science of Metawar, has yielded some chilling new insights into the United States’ ability to navigate foreign influence online. Cyber Florida at USF Executive Director and former Commander, U.S. Central Command, General (Ret.) Frank McKenzie will join Winn for an in-depth discussion on the future of warfare in cyberspace.
TICKETS ON SALE NOW
The Sunshine Cyber Conference offers three ticketing tiers. Cyber Florida at USF underwrites much of the cost of this even to keep ticket prices as affordable as possible. We cannot accommodate requests for further discounts or free tickets.
- General Admission: $200
- Government/Academia/Military/Nonprofit: $150
This category is available to any government department, nonprofit organization, and academic institution employee as well as all military personnel, including veterans! - Student: $50
This category is open to any currently enrolled college student—undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate. Registrants must use their .EDU email address to register.
AGENDA
We are pleased to announce a wonderful roster of brilliant experts presenting on diverse topics for technical practitioners and non-technical C-suite and managers alike. With tracks focused on Cyber Management, Law Enforcement/Cybercrime, Emerging Threats & Trends, and Critical Infrastructure, there is something for everyone! Feel free to mix and match—you do not have to stick to just one track!
HOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS
The hotels offering courtesy rates for this event are now SOLD OUT. However, there are plenty of hotels in the surrounding area. Look for a hotel near a Teco Line Streetcar station–the Amalie Arena (#8) stop is just a short walk to the JW Marriott Water Street Tampa.
SHUTTLE SERVICE INFORMATION
We are happy to announce that we will be providing a complimentary shuttle service to take guests between the JW Marriott Tampa Water Street and the Aloft/Element Midtown Tampa! Two shuttles will rotate every 30 minutes between the two locations, and will make the trips regardless of the shuttle’s capacity.
Pickup will begin in front of the Element Midtown Tampa, and go from:
- February 24 from 11:30 AM until 7:30 PM
- February 25 from 8:00 AM until 5:30 PM
HOTEL PARKING INFORMATION
For those who are not staying with our courtesy room blocks and will be driving themselves to the event, there are several parking options to consider.
The JW Marriott Water Street Tampa provides daily valet parking for $20, and any overnight parking will cost $35.
For self-parking options, there are several parking garages/lots we recommend:
- Pam Iorio Garage
- Amalie Arena Pink Lot
- Fort Brooke Garage
BECOME A SPONSOR TO BOOST YOUR BRAND
Being a Sunshine Cyber Con sponsor helps Cyber Florida at USF keep this conference affordable for all while providing brand visibility to hundreds of cybersecurity decision-makers from across Florida and beyond! All sponsor levels. Coffee Station Sponsor and higher, include a free exhibit table!
EXHIBIT TO CONNECT WITH FLORIDA’S CYBER COMMUNITY
Exhibitors consistently report a positive return on investment from the Sunshine Cyber Conference, having made valuable connections to organizations and decision-makers they don’t see at other events. Cyber Florida at USF has worked diligently to build a reputation as a trusted partner to Florida’s critical infrastructure organizations across the public and private sectors. Our attendees are practitioners, leaders, and researchers.
NEED HELP JUSTIFYING YOUR ATTENDANCE?
If you must present a case to your supervisor, use this document as a starting point. Emphasize the immediate and long-term benefits of attending the Sunshine Cyber Conference for your team and organization. Investing in professional development today will help safeguard your organization tomorrow!
Thank you to our sponsors!
