Cyber Night a Resounding Success!

HUNTSVILLE, AL — On October 1, 2014, Inspire and Achieve Corporation sponsored CyberNight and provided the local community expert knowledge from local and national panelists on cyber security tips, careers, and scholarships. Over 100 students, industry experts, and community members, including Mayor Tommie Battle and Mayor Troy Trulock, attended the event at the UAHuntsville University Center.

The purpose of the event was to raise awareness of the importance of protecting critical infrastructure and good cyber security habits in the interest of national security. Information on locally available cyber security jobs and cyber security college scholarships was also presented at the event. Persons interested in local cyber security jobs and college scholarships may contact Inspire and Achieve Corporation at info@inspireandachieve.net.

Robin “Montana” Williams, Chief of the National Cybersecurity Education & Awareness Branch, Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Washington, D.C., was the keynote speaker. Williams is responsible for coordinating and developing national cybersecurity awareness, education, training, professional development, policy, standards, and assessment requirements to broaden, cultivate, and maintain an unrivaled, globally competitive cybersecurity workforce for the nation. Mr. Williams spoke to attendees of the Cyber Night event concerning the threats facing the United States and how the Department of Homeland Security faces a constant need to recruit fresh cyber talent to help repel the continuous stream of threats facing US interests. DHS has awarded a $4.2M Grant to UAHuntsville for cyber security research and scholarships.

Grissom High School’s Cyber Patriot team demonstrated their award winning cyber-demo at the event. Cyber Patriot is a national high school cyber-defense competition which excites, educates, and motivates students to pursue careers in cybersecurity and other science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) related fields. Grissom’s Cyber Patriot team finished 7th in the Semi-Finals, and 2nd in the National Finals in March 2O14.

National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM) was established in 2004, under the leadership of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the National Cyber Security Alliance. NCSAM was created as a collaborative effort between government and industry to ensure every American has the resources they need to stay safe and more secure online.

Inspire & Achieve Corporation is a non-profit Huntsville-based organization that cultivates STEM education for primary, secondary and post-secondary students. Cyber Night is Inspire & Achieve’s inaugural annual cyber event. It is held in recognition of National Cyber Security Awareness Month each October.  Sponsors of Cyber Night were LogiCore Corporation (Gold Sponsor), Lockheed Martin Corporation (Bronze Sponsor), Athens State University (Bronze Sponsor), and the following in-kind sponsors: UAH, and First Choice Printing.

 “Inspire & Achieve is excited to support and provide cybersecurity awareness to our community by helping to educate the public and private sector through these types of events and other various initiatives,” said Miranda Bouldin, Founder and Executive Director of Inspire & Achieve and President/CEO of LogiCore Corporation.

To view photos of the event, please click here.

Inspire & Achieve is a Non-Profit Organization promoting higher education, undergraduate scholarships, and Cybersecurity awareness to the community. For additional information, please email us at info@inspireandachieve.net.