TAMPA – The ±«Óătv’s Muma College of Business has launched several free, online cybersecurity training courses to train Florida’s public sector employees on how to spot phishing scams, counter ransomware attacks, and protect sensitive information from cybercriminals.
The new courses are part of a statewide push to boost cyberattack preparedness and provide cybersecurity training for state and local government workers under the .
“Cybersecurity is the biggest threat that any agency with data is facing. We are addressing a real need for state employees that will make Florida more secure,” said Shivendu Shivendu, an associate professor in the School of Information Systems and Management. “For me, this initiative is exciting, and we are playing an important role in this task.”
Last spring, the Muma College of Business received a $5.65 million grant from to develop courses to train state and local leaders on cybersecurity management and awareness.
Registration is now open at the Cyber Florida’s . Training is open to state and local government employees who work in executive, managerial, technical and general staff roles.
The team developed four online cybersecurity training courses, each tailored to the unique challenges facing government workers. The training includes real-world scenarios, case studies and potential responses.
Varol Kayhan, an associate professor who helped design the course content, said about 100 new people each day register for the courses, with almost all learners completing the four-hour, self-paced course within two weeks.
The topics covered address some of the most common cyberattack tactics – phishing scams, ransomware attacks and social engineering.
“That is what we are seeing over and over again. You can’t over-emphasize these things. It’s applicable across every state and local department and agency,” Kayhan said.
The goal is to train at least 10,000 state and local government workers in cybersecurity, he said.
The four ±«Óătv-developed courses include:
- — a general cyber threat course that covers phishing scams, password security, viruses and malware, social engineering, and online security best practices.
- — a course designed for mid-level managers in state and local government agencies and provides a comprehensive understanding of cybersecurity principles, risk management strategies and incident response planning.
- — a course that teaches senior-level administrators, such as C-level executives, department heads and managers, how to construct resilient security frameworks and develop policies compliant with state and local regulations.
- — a course designed to prepare participants for the ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity certificate and provides a comprehensive understanding of core concepts covered in the certification exam.