Tampa, FL.—May 18, 2018—The Florida Center for Cybersecurity, hosted at the University of South Florida, has awarded more than $700,000 in funds to 13 projects across the State University System of Florida (SUS) through its Capacity Building Award program, implemented to enhance the state’s cybersecurity education and research capabilities.
“Experts predict there will be 3.5 million unfilled cybersecurity jobs globally by 2021,” remarked Sri Sridharan, director of the Florida Center for Cybersecurity. “These are high-paying jobs that fill a critical, growing need in our society. The Capacity Building Award program helps ensure that the State University System of Florida has the curricula and facilities to best prepare graduates for success in this rapidly growing, ever-evolving field,” he said.
Many of this year’s recipients intend to create and implement courses that address the industry’s latest innovations and challenges, including blockchain technology, securing the Internet of Things (IoT), and protecting the nation’s energy sector.
Projects include the following:
- New courses in digital forensics, blockchain, IoT security, and mobile security
- Updated and new practice exercises and experiments
- A summer camp for high school students
- An online tool for small businesses to assess cybersecurity needs
- Research, curriculum, and exercises in critical energy infrastructure security
For more detailed descriptions of these projects, please visithttp://thefc2.org/research/capacity-building-program.aspx.
About the Florida Center for Cybersecurity
The Florida Center for Cybersecurity is a state resource established to position Florida as a national leader in cybersecurity through education and workforce development; innovative, interdisciplinary research; and community engagement. Hosted at the University of South Florida, FC2 works with all twelve State University System of Florida (SUS) institutions as well as industry, government, and defense to create connections, build partnerships, capitalize on opportunities, and encourage collaboration. The Center hosts and sponsors events to engage diverse audiences throughout the year and administers funding programs that support collaborative research and cybersecurity programming at SUS institutions.