What Cyber Florida does

Cyber Florida, formally the Florida Center for Cybersecurity, is a state-funded cybersecurity organization established in 2014 by the Florida Legislature and hosted at the University of South Florida in Tampa. It operates as a non-commercial public-sector entity whose mandate is to position Florida as a national leader in cybersecurity through workforce development, applied research, threat intelligence, and community engagement. Its constituency spans K-12 students and teachers, college students, small and mid-sized businesses, state and local government agencies, and operators across all 16 critical infrastructure sectors throughout Florida's 67 counties. All programs and services are provided free of charge.

The organization's core program portfolio includes FirstLine, a $30 million workforce development initiative launched with state appropriations; CyberLaunch, a small business cybersecurity training program delivered in partnership with ThreatLocker; the upcoming Cyber Bulls-i cyber range scheduled for July 2026; the Jack Voltaic series of municipal cyber incident exercises; a statewide K-12 cyber education pipeline; and cyber risk assessment services for critical infrastructure operators. Federal grant-funded initiatives include RAMPS (with NIST) and the Cyber/IT Pathways program. Technical delivery is anchored in USF's research infrastructure, including the FCIT partnership, with exercise scenarios and threat intelligence drawn from Jack Voltaic tabletop simulations.

Cyber Florida does not operate a commercial revenue model. It has no private equity or venture capital backing and generates no sales revenue; all services are provided free of charge. Funding flows from annual Florida state legislative appropriations and competitive federal grants awarded by agencies such as NIST, NSA, and the Department of Defense. Financial trajectory is therefore contingent on the state's annual budget cycle, federal grant competitiveness, and the political continuity of cybersecurity as a legislative priority rather than on market demand, pricing power, or customer retention. This public-funder concentration constitutes the primary financial risk facing the organization.

Name

Cyber Florida

Legal name

The Florida Center for Cybersecurity at the University of South Florida

Website

https://cyberflorida.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cyber Florida is a state-funded cybersecurity center at the University of South Florida, established by the Florida Legislature in 2014 to provide workforce development, threat intelligence, and cyber risk assessment services across all 67 Florida counties and 16 critical infrastructure sectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cybersecurity Education and Training

NAICS

Computer Training (61142), Business Schools and Computer and Management Training (6114), Computer Training (611420)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Cybersecurity Learning Platforms (EDAFANAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cybersecurity (EDAAAPAC), Cybersecurity (Digital Safety, Ethical Hacking Basics) (EDAMACAH), Cybersecurity (General) (EDAOAIAB), Cybersecurity Training & Awareness Programs (BPAEANAF), Cyber Defense & Information Security (National Security) (BPAIAHAE)

Keywords

• Cybersecurity education programs
• Workforce development training
• Critical infrastructure security
• K-12 cybersecurity curriculum
• Cyber risk assessments

Headquarters

HQ city

Tampa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. State Legislative Appropriations: Primary funding from the Florida Legislature, including a $30 million investment in FirstLine public-sector education and training program.
2. Federal Grants: Funding from federal agencies including the DoD CIO Cyber Academic Engagement Office, NSA National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity Program, and NIST programs. CyberWorks program is NIST-funded.
3. No-Cost Services: All services and resources are provided at no charge to eligible participants, funded entirely through government appropriations rather than direct customer revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Cyber Florida is a state-funded cybersecurity center at the University of South Florida that delivers free cybersecurity education, workforce training, and critical infrastructure protection programs across Florida. Its offerings include K-12 cybersecurity curriculum (Operation K12), statewide student competitions (CyberLaunch), public-sector training (FirstLine), veteran and first responder career training (CyberWorks), workforce apprenticeship (SOCAP), critical infrastructure risk assessments (Cyber Bulls-i), live-fire cyber simulation exercises (ARCS Range, Jack Voltaic), and threat intelligence resources. All programs are provided at no cost to participants, funded through Florida legislative appropriations and federal grants.

Product overview

Cyber Florida is a state-funded organization at the University of South Florida that positions Florida as a national leader in cybersecurity through education, research, and outreach. Rather than a single unified product, Cyber Florida operates as a portfolio of programs and platforms. The core offerings include: Florida CyberHub, a cloud-based education and research platform providing Desktop-as-a-Service, Secure Sandbox, and Course Catalog tools; FirstLine Public-Sector Education delivering free training for public employees; CyberLaunch and Operation K12 providing K-12 cybersecurity competitions and curriculum; CyberWorks and SOCAP offering workforce development programs; Cyber Bulls-i as a cybersecurity assessment platform for critical infrastructure; ARCS Range for live-fire cyber simulation training; CI Bulletin and Threat Room for threat intelligence; and various podcasts, forums, and grant programs supporting Florida's cyber ecosystem.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CyberLaunch: A cybersecurity competition for Florida middle and high school students (grades 6-12) featuring virtual qualifiers and in-person State Championship events
• Florida CyberHub
• Operation K12
• Cyber Bulls-i
• SOCAP
• CyberWorks
• FirstLine
• ARCS Range
• No Password Required
• CyberBay Podcast

Products and services

• Florida CyberHub A cloud-based platform providing free Desktop-as-a-Service, Full Helpdesk Support, Secure Sandbox for malware investigation, and a Course Catalog with shared educational resources for K-12 through college levels. Target users are Florida educators, students, and institutions seeking cybersecurity training tools.
• FirstLine Public-Sector Education and Training A free cybersecurity education and training program backed by a $30 million Florida Legislature investment, providing courses and training for Florida's public-sector employees to strengthen the state's cyber workforce.
• CyberLaunch A statewide cybersecurity competition for Florida middle and high school students (grades 6-12), featuring virtual qualifiers and an in-person State Championship at USF in Tampa.
• Operation K12 A comprehensive program providing free cybersecurity curriculum, courses, labs, professional development, and competitions to Florida public schools across all 67 counties through a joint endeavor with the Florida Center for Instructional Technology at USF.
• Cyber Bulls-i A cybersecurity assessment and planning platform for Florida's critical infrastructure organizations that provides streamlined risk assessments, personalized improvement plans, and progress tracking at no cost.
• ARCS Range Aligned Realistic Cyberattack Simulation Range providing live-fire cyber range exercises and training environments for government and critical infrastructure organizations to simulate real-world cyber incidents.
• SOCAP (Security Operations Center Apprentice Program) A workforce development program where student analysts help monitor and secure networks, investigate security incidents, and support clients across Florida as part of a Security Operations Center apprenticeship.
• CyberWorks Career Training A 12-week fully virtual NIST-funded training program that prepares Florida's veterans, first responders, military spouses, and government employees for careers in cybersecurity, guiding participants toward CompTIA Security+ certification.
• Critical Infrastructure Program (CIP) A program providing Florida critical infrastructure organizations across all 16 sectors with cybersecurity assessments, resources, and expert assistance to improve their security posture at no cost.
• Jack Voltaic Tampa Cyber Incident Exercise A three-day immersive cyber incident exercise simulating coordinated cyberattacks targeting Tampa Bay's critical infrastructure, testing multi-sector coordination and regional cyber resilience with federal, state, military, and private sector partners.

Quantifiable outcome

• FirstLine program represents $30 million investment by Florida Legislature in public-sector cybersecurity training.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

22 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Florida Center for Instructional Technology (FCIT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint endeavor between Cyber Florida and FCIT at USF to infuse cybersecurity education into K-12 classrooms across Florida. Together they educate students, teachers, and parents about safer online habits and inspire students toward cybersecurity careers.
• Army Cyber InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead partner for the Jack Voltaic cyber incident exercise series, which evaluates and enhances resilience of communities surrounding U.S. military installations through realistic scenario-based training.
• SimSpacecoreTechnology or IntegrationProvides the live-fire cyber range environment for Jack Voltaic exercises, enabling participants to analyze live telemetry, logs, simulated alerts, and practice containment and mitigation strategies in realistic settings.
• Norwich University Applied Research Institutes (NUARI)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartners with Cyber Florida to lead tabletop exercises during Jack Voltaic Tampa, facilitating strategic decision-making discussions for leadership across sectors.
• U.S. Cyber CommandmajorOthersFederal military partner participating in Jack Voltaic Tampa exercise to strengthen civil-military cyber coordination and test multi-sector incident response capabilities.
• U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM)majorOthersParticipated in Jack Voltaic Tampa exercise with focus on defense operational impacts and coordination with civilian infrastructure supporting military operations.
• U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM)majorOthersMilitary partner in Jack Voltaic Tampa exercise addressing infrastructure interdependencies and cyber resilience for defense-supporting operations.
• U.S. Coast GuardmajorOthersFederal partner in Jack Voltaic exercises, contributing to regional cyber incident response and critical infrastructure protection efforts.
• Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)majorOthersFederal agency partner in exercises and critical infrastructure protection initiatives, providing guidance and coordination for cybersecurity resilience.
• FBImajorOthersFederal law enforcement partner participating in cyber exercises and incident response coordination efforts.
• Florida Army National GuardmajorOthersState military partner in Jack Voltaic Tampa, providing cyber support capabilities and participating in multi-agency incident response exercises.
• Idaho National LaboratorymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner supporting scenario design, technical integration, and research-informed facilitation for Jack Voltaic exercises.
• Tampa Bay WatercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCritical infrastructure partner in Jack Voltaic Tampa exercise, focusing on water treatment and distribution systems as the scenario's primary target.
• TECO EnergycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnergy sector critical infrastructure partner in regional cyber preparedness exercises and incident response coordination.
• Tampa General HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare critical infrastructure partner participating in cyber exercises to test coordination and resilience for healthcare operations.
• University of South FloridacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent institution hosting Cyber Florida. USF's Marshall Student Center serves as venue for major exercises like Jack Voltaic Tampa.
• MS-ISAC (Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as partner organization on Cyber Florida's Connect page for threat intelligence sharing and coordination.
• Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM)coreOthersState agency partner for emergency management coordination and cyber incident response integration.
• Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE)coreOthersState law enforcement partner for cybersecurity coordination and incident response.
• Florida Fusion CentercoreOthersState fusion center partner for intelligence sharing and cybersecurity threat coordination.
• ThreatLockermajorGTM or Marketing PartnerNamed as lead sponsor for the 3rd annual CyberLaunch competition, providing financial and promotional support for Florida's largest high school cybersecurity competition.
• Teaching Digital NativesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner providing free online course for grades 4-8 covering Digital Citizenship, Types of Cybersecurity Threats, Online Safety, and Social Media Etiquette in English and Spanish.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• SANS Institute: Largest commercial cybersecurity training and certification provider globally. While not state-funded and serving paying customers, SANS represents the incumbent benchmark Cyber Florida's certification prep and workforce programs must compete against in quality and student outcomes.
• Cyberbit: Commercial provider of cyber range simulation platforms for enterprises and governments. Directly comparable to Cyber Florida's ARCS Range offering, with broader geographic reach and a commercial sales model that competes for the same cyber exercise budget.
• CISA (Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency): Federal agency responsible for critical infrastructure cybersecurity and a Cyber Florida partner. Comparable in critical infrastructure protection mission and overlapping in free assessment/educational offerings to state and local entities.

Others

• SimSpace: Cyber range platform provider and current technology partner for Cyber Florida's Jack Voltaic exercises. Comparable as both an enabling partner and a potential competitor for live-fire cyber simulation contracts.

Direct peers

• Cyber.org (formerly Cyber Innovation Center): Federally and state-funded provider of free K-12 cybersecurity education across multiple U.S. states. Most directly comparable to Cyber Florida's Operation K12 and CyberLaunch programs, both targeting public school cybersecurity curriculum at no cost to participants.
• Maryland Cybersecurity Center (MC2): University of Maryland-based state-affiliated cybersecurity research and education center. Comparable to Cyber Florida in its academic-affiliation model, multi-stakeholder focus, and statewide workforce development mission.
• Georgia Cyber Center: State-funded cybersecurity center operated by Augusta University and Georgia Tech, providing workforce development, training, and innovation hub functions. Directly comparable as a peer state cybersecurity center model to Cyber Florida's USF-hosted program.
• NICERC (National Integrated Cyber Education Research Center): Federally funded organization providing K-12 cybersecurity curricula and teacher professional development. Overlaps with Cyber Florida's Operation K12 in mission and delivery model, particularly in teacher training and curriculum resources.

Regional players

• California Cybersecurity Integration Center (Cal-CSIC): California state government initiative for statewide cybersecurity coordination and critical infrastructure protection. Comparable to Cyber Florida's state-mandate model but serving a different (and larger) geography, illustrating how peer state cyber centers operate regionally.

Emerging players

• NPower: Nonprofit providing free technology and cybersecurity workforce training for veterans, military spouses, and underserved populations. Directly comparable to Cyber Florida's CyberWorks program in target audience and free delivery model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cybersecurityfl
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCuyIfcFYbavbezGWb1XGDKg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cyberflorida
• Instagraminstagram.com/cybersecurityfl
• Facebookfacebook.com/floridacyber

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Cyber Florida