cyber hero

Casey W. O’Brien Selected as SynED’s Cyber Hero for Expanding Access to Cybersecurity Education Nationwide

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THOUSAND OAKS, Calif — Today, SynED®, a national non-profit organization that identifies emerging best practices for effective articulation between employers, job seekers, and education providers, announced that Casey W. O’Brien was selected as its national CyberHero for December.  O’Brien is the Executive Director and Principal Investigator at the National CyberWatch Center, a consortium of higher education institutions, businesses and government agencies […]

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Susanne Mata Selected as SynED®’s Cyber Hero for Building Partnerships Across Southern California

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THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Today SynED, a national non-profit organization that identifies emerging best practices for effective articulation between employers, job seekers, and education providers, announced that Susanne Mata was selected as its national CyberHero for November.  Mata is the California Community Colleges Regional Director for Employer Engagement in Information Communication Technologies and Digital Media in the Inland Empire/Desert Region. In this role,

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Bernie Skoch Selected as SynED’s Cyber Hero for Expanding Cybersecurity Career Pathways

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LOS ANGELES — Today synED, a national non-profit organization that identifies emerging best practices for effective articulation between employers, job seekers, and education providers, announced that Bernie Skoch was selected as their national CyberHero for October.    Skoch shared, it’s easy to give yourself a pat on the back following success, but he prefers to focus on those around him and on all the work that’s still left to

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Paula Hodge Selected as synED’s CyberHero for Her Dedication to Growing the Next Generation of Cyber Professionals

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Los Angeles, CA — Today synED, a national non-profit organization that identifies emerging best practices for effective articulation between employers, job seekers, and education providers, announced that Paula Hodge is their national CyberHero for September.    As the Information Computer Technology – Digital Media (ICT-DM) Regional Director in California’s South Central Coast Region, Ms. Hodge works closely with industry partners and faculty to develop curricula that prepare students to address

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CyberHero Kristi Rice Brings Cybersecurity Education to Rural Virginia

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SPOTSYLVANIA, Va. — In a place where some communities do not have Internet access, cybersecurity education is thriving thanks in part to Kristi Rice’s efforts over the past three years. As a CyberHero, Kristi is part of SynED’s series highlighting cybersecurity educators who quietly go above and beyond to enrich the educational experience for their students and empower the country’s next generation of cyber professionals.  Rice

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Cyber Hero Shanti’ Coaston Makes Cybersecurity Education More Inclusive

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SynED’s series highlighting cyber heroes who quietly go above and beyond in helping to secure our nation and communities  EAST CLEVELAND, Ohio — Shanti’ Coaston was just hitting her stride as a cybersecurity teacher when COVID-19 upended everything. Her students at Shaw High School in East Cleveland no longer had access to the school’s computer lab, and some were only able to

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Cyber Hero Kara Four Bear Thinks Big About Cyber Education in North Dakota

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SynED series highlighting cyber heroes who quietly go above and beyond in helping to secure our nation and communities.   NEW TOWN, N.D. — The reach of cybersecurity education is expanding across the U.S., thanks in part to the work of Kara Four Bear, principal at New Town Middle School in New Town, North Dakota. Four Bear

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Cyber Hero Steve Linthicum advances community colleges’ role in cybersecurity education

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SANTA ANA, Calif. — Community colleges play a unique role in filling the thousands of open cybersecurity positions across California, and Steve Linthicum is at the forefront of helping students create the pathways that will lead to stable, well-paying jobs.  Linthicum is the Regional Director for Industry Engagement in Orange County for the Information Communications

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Cyber Hero Tara Taylor opens doors to cybersecurity education

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CHULA VISTA, Calif. — Tara Taylor believes that cybersecurity education is for everyone, and embraces that philosophy every day in her teaching and coaching. Taylor, a computer science teacher and cyber coach at Eastlake Middle School in Chula Vista, began her career as an English teacher and transitioned to teaching a basic computer skills class. She

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Cyber Hero Mario Garcia keeps California safe, builds cybersecurity workforce

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SACRAMENTO — In a state as large and complex as California, staying ahead of cybersecurity threats can be a challenge. However, it’s a challenge Mario Garcia is happy to accept. Garcia is Acting Commander of the California Cybersecurity Integration Center (Cal-CSIC), which was established in 2015 as part of the CalOES, the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services. Cal-CSIC

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SACRAMENTO — In a state as large and complex as California, staying ahead of cybersecurity threats can be a challenge. However, it’s a challenge Mario Garcia is happy to accept. Garcia is Acting Commander of the California Cybersecurity Integration Center (Cal-CSIC), which was established in 2015 as part of the CalOES, the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services. Cal-CSIC is responsible for coordinating with the California State Threat Assessment System and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, as well as local government, utilities, and other organizations. Garcia and Cal-CSIC also play an integral part in recruiting new members of the state’s cybersecurity workforce. Like many in the field, he recognizes the gaps that exist between the number of positions that need to be filled and the number of skilled workers available to fill them. He enjoys working with the Cyber-Guild and other partners to close the gap. “One of my longstanding responsibilities is education and workforce development,” Garcia said. “In this capacity, I am supporting the programs that are out there and encouraging children and youth to explore their interest in cybersecurity.” Meeting cybersecurity workforce demand becomes even more difficult in the public sector, where salaries are sometimes not as competitive as the private sector. Garcia and the Cal-CSIC team recognize this challenge and are working with partners throughout education to show students the value of careers in government. “Government entities have a real challenge as far as attracting talent,” Garcia said. “We are partnering with the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development, Cal Poly and Cyber-Guild to help encourage programs and let the students know that the government needs them to help protect California’s infrastructure.” Garcia also cited the work of the California Governor’s Cybersecurity Task Force, Workforce Development and Education in helping to create strong K-14 cybersecurity education pathways. “The California Cybersecurity Task Force, and in particular, Dr. Keith Clement from Fresno State who serves as the Co-Chair of the Workforce Development and Education Subcommittee has done an enormous amount of work in this area,” Garcia said. Garcia recognizes that events like the California Mayors Cyber Cup are an important part of building that workforce pipeline. He said he’s continually impressed by the students he sees at the event. “It’s exciting to see them show their interest and knowledge and experience,” Garcia said. “It may take a few years until we can hire them, but it shows that we are heading in the right direction.” A cyber attack on any part of California’s government could hurt the state’s economy and cause major disruptions for its residents. Cal-CSIC works to make sure these attacks don’t happen and provide information to government agencies on how to practice good cyber hygiene. “My primary focus is to protect the state of California and California’s economy,” Garcia said. “We educate employees about phishing attacks, alert agencies about cyber threats and provide steps for remediation, and conduct incident response should their network and their systems get compromised.” Garcia previously served as division chief of the California National Guard’s Data Management and Systems Integration Division, which is responsible for federal IT systems supporting the California Army National Guard.

About Cal OES

California is prone to earthquakes, floods, significant wildfires, prolonged drought impacts, public health emergencies, cybersecurity attacks, agricultural and animal disasters, as well as threats to homeland security.  Cal OES takes a proactive approach to addressing these risks, threats, and vulnerabilities that form the basis of our mission and has been tested through real events, as well as comprehensive exercises that help us maintain our state of readiness and plan for and mitigate impacts.

About SynED

SynED is a non-profit organization that acts as a catalyst to help colleges and other higher education partners equip students with the skills they need to enrich their lives through education and knowledge and skill acquisition, giving them rich career opportunities. SynED is home to the Cyber-Guild and Mayors Cyber Cup.
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