February 13-17

"Promoting Cybersecurity I"

Argentina, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Egypt, Eswatini, Ghana, Ireland, Jordan, Kuwait, Malta, Moldova, Netherlands, Samoa, Sri Lanka, Suriname

These global cybersecurity experts began their Tampa Bay program with a workshop at the new headquarters of OPSWAT (above left and center), a leader in critical infrastructure protection and trusted by more than 1,000 global organizations for providing comprehensive and scalable cybersecurity solutions to protect against malware and zero-day attacks. OPSWAT executives, led by COO Mr. Stephen Gorham, led a workshop and opened their hands-on training lab to demo a real-life cyber-attack on critical infrastructure, and hosted lunch for the IVLP visitors to talk innovative approaches to countering cyberattacks in real time. ​
St. Petersburg Police Department Chief Anthony Holloway organized a session devoted to cybersecurity task force development, and welcomed Special Agent in Charge Mr. Robert Engel of the United States Secret Service to present a case study on a suspected cyberattack on critical infrastructure in the Tampa Bay region. Chief Holloway also brought the visitors to SPPD's Cyber-Forensics Lab. 

At the Tampa Bay Regional Operations Center of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), Special Agent in Charge Mark Brutnell and Mr. Justin Greenwell, Chief of Forensic Services, FDLE Tampa Bay Regional Fusion Center, brought the group to the the digital forensics lab to discuss and demonstrate cutting-edge tools and techniques for recovering data from electronic devices including cell phones, gaming consoles, and Internet of Things (IoT) devices.
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Closing out the program, USF's Global and National Security Institute (GNSI), University of South Florida – Tampa Campus, and Cyber Florida: Florida Center for Cybersecurity hosted a panel of experts and researchers for a discussion of the current state of global cybersecurity threats. The roundtable discussion was led by Mr. Jim Cardoso, Senior Director, GNSI, and Mr. Mr. James W. Jacobs, MPA, Associate Director of Policy and Partnerships, Cyber Florida.​
A couple of truly "Florida experiences" rounded out the program, with a visit to the Florida State Fair and a sunset sail into the Gulf of Mexico. 

Photos by IVLP Visitors​