DOVER, Del. — Chief Information Officer (CIO) Jason Clarke today announced that Roddy Flynn will lead the state’s connectivity efforts as the Executive Director of the newly-formed Delaware

Broadband Office. Flynn most recently served as the Deputy Director of Congressional Affairs for the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). Appointed by the White House, Flynn led congressional affairs for the Internet for All initiative which is tasked with implementing the $48 billion high-speed Internet expansion portions of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

“Broadband is essential for all Delawareans, and we are excited to have Roddy join the team to lead that charge,” said CIO Clarke. “His compelling track record of building consensus and delivering customer-oriented solutions are assets to Delaware as we move forward with federal funding and our goal to be the first fully-connected state.”

The Delaware Broadband Office is entrusted with leading efforts to expand the availability of wired high-speed internet to all homes and businesses across the state. Together, the  Broadband Strategic Plan and GIS Hub have identified more than 12,000 addresses lacking internet access. With a boost from the American Rescue Plan Act, efforts are already underway to connect nearly 6,000 of those addresses by April 2024. Delaware is also currently in the planning phase for Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) funding and expects to receive $100-$115 million in 2024 to invest in continuing wired broadband connections and digital equity programs. Several public meetings for BEAD planning were hosted throughout the state earlier this month and stakeholder meetings will be held throughout March and April. The public is invited to share further feedback in this planning process through a Digital Equity Needs Assessment Survey available at https://broadband.delaware.gov/. Those without internet access are welcome to reach out to the Delaware Broadband Office at (302) 739-9701.

Flynn began his career as a law clerk to the Honorable Justice Henry duPont Ridgely before becoming a litigation associate at Richards, Layton, and Finger. His interest in public service led him to Washington, DC where he headed the Equality PAC, Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus, and served as Chief of Staff for Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon prior to joining the NTIA.

A native Delawarean, Flynn received his B.A. from American University and his J.D. from Washington & Lee University School of Law, where he was Burks Research Scholar and the recipient of the Calhoun-Bond Award.

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About the Delaware Department of Technology and Information

The Department of Technology and Information (DTI) is the state’s central IT organization, chartered to deliver core services to other state organizations and exercise governance over the technology direction and investments of the state. DTI provides enterprise services that enable other organizations to effectively fulfill their missions.

Media Contact:
Christina Dirksen, Strategic Communications Manager, DTI
(302) 739-9736 w Christina.Dirksen@state.de.us

FOR IMMEDIATE  RELEASE
October 17, 2022

Program Contact:
Claudette Wus, Senior Disaster Recovery Specialist, DTI
(302) 739-9636
Claudette.Wus@delaware.gov

Media Contact:
Christina Dirksen, Strategic Communications Manager, DTI
(302) 739-9736
Christina.Dirksen@state.de.us

 

 

Governor Carney Announces DE’s Participation in CyberStart America and Cyber FastTrack
CyberStart America and Cyber FastTrack offer free, fun games for high school and college students to discover their talent and enter the field of cybersecurity. Registration is open now!

 

Dover, Delaware — Delaware Governor John Carney and Chief Information Officer (CIO) Jason Clarke have announced that high school and college students across the First State can now register for CyberStart America and Cyber FastTrack.  This innovative online program, sponsored by the National Cyber Scholarship Foundation and the SANS Institute, allows participants to explore their potential cybersecurity talent. Building on the success of previous years’ National Cyber Scholarship Competitions, CyberStart America is open to all high school students. Delaware students in grades nine through twelve will have the chance to win prizes and recognition for their schools, as well as scholarships for advanced training. Cyber FastTrack is available for college students, where they too will have a chance to win scholarship awards and recognition for excellent performance. Nearly 1,400 Delaware students have participated in these programs over the past 7 years.

“One of the most important challenges for us is developing the cybersecurity workforce and finding talent. That’s why the programs that DTI and other partners are participating in are so important,” said Governor Carney. “Recently, I was able to meet some of these talented, next generation of cyber experts from last year’s CyberStart and Cyber FastTrack programs. With these programs, they have a strong foundation to pursue a cyber career.”

The CyberStart and Cyber FastTrack programs both offer a series of online challenges that allow participants to act as cyber protection agents solving cybersecurity-related puzzles and exploring related topics such as code-breaking, programming, networking, and digital forensics. For the high school level, the program can be assigned as part of homework, form the basis of an extracurricular club, or students can simply try it on their own. Participating students and their teachers do not need knowledge or experience in information technology or cybersecurity to take part. Everything they need can be learned in the game; however, support and communication about the program to students are needed. Both programs are free for schools and students. New this year will be a high school cyber presentation provided by Chief Security Officer Solomon Adote on October 27^th that will include information on cyber careers as well as a demo of the CyberStart America platform. High School students should contact their teacher for more information.

Students who do well in the program can earn access to scholarships and advanced training. The 2021-22 session had 352 Delaware high school student participants in CyberStart America — three of whom earned Finalist level and nine that reached the Scholar level — while 133 Delaware college students participated in Cyber FastTrack, with one reaching the Finalist level and eight in the Scholar bracket. These students were recognized at the Secure Delaware Workshop on October 4, 2022, which coincided with registration opening of the 2022-23 session of both CyberStart America and Cyber FastTrack.

“I was introduced to “CyberStart American early Freshman year. I thoroughly enjoyed completing the challenges in the program, as they are presented in a beginner-friendly, non-intimidating manner. As I completed more and more challenges, I found that I could apply my knowledge in coding, forensics, cryptography, hashing, and the Linux command line that I’ve acquired from my experiences in Cyberpatriot and summer programs,” said Padua student Trisha Srikanth.  “Further, framing the challenges as hypothetical real-world situations certainly enlivened a very technical field and made the challenges more dynamic and engaging. In our increasingly digitized society, it is important that there are enough cybersecurity professionals to protect American devices and systems. Thus, it is wonderful that CyberStart is making cybersecurity more accessible to young students like me, sparking our passion for pursuing this field. Lastly, I am very grateful to DTI, our governor, and my community at Padua for all of their support and encouragement.”

“Cyber FastTrack helped me quickly learn about a broad range of topics in cybersecurity,” said Wilmington University student Richard Eaton. “Identification as a National Cyber Scholar provided me additional SANS Foundations training and certification that was some of the best, most engaging online training I’ve ever taken. It also afforded me the opportunity to be recognized in the field and establish meaningful connections with local cybersecurity leaders that have already provided job opportunities. I’m so grateful for the experience.”

“There is no question that it has been an eventful year on the cyber security front.  Everything from major breaches to new vulnerabilities, and an even greater focus on protecting critical infrastructure and third-party/supply chain compromises. It’s important to identify the next generation of cyber defenders to protect against these attacks that happen every minute of each day.  With programs like these, participants can pursue their passion in cybersecurity to help in this fight,” said CIO Jason Clarke.

To learn more about CyberStart America or to register, visit cyberstartamerica.org. College students can view the program details and register to participate at cyber-fasttrack.org.

 

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About the Delaware Department of Technology and Information

The Department of Technology and Information (DTI) is the state’s central IT organization, chartered to deliver core services to other state organizations and exercise governance over the technology direction and investments of the state. DTI provides enterprise services that enable other organizations to effectively fulfill their missions. DTI.delaware.gov

About CyberStart America

CyberStart America and Cyber FastTrack are free national programs for high school and college-level students, aiming to uncover hidden cyber talents, and to identify and develop the next generation of cyber superstars. The immersive gamified learning platforms can take students from zero cybersecurity knowledge to possessing the skills necessary to compete in a national-level Capture the Flag challenge in a matter of weeks. Students new to the field with a strong aptitude, as well as students with existing interest in the field, can use the platform to train and qualify for the National Cyber Scholarship Competition, allowing them to compete for life-changing college scholarship opportunities.

 

About The National Cyber Scholarship Foundation (NCSF)

The National Cyber Scholarship Foundation (NCSF) is a national nonprofit whose mission is to identify, nurture and empower the next generation of cybersecurity experts and eliminate the cybersecurity skills gap in the United States. NCSF aims to support the entry of thousands of highly talented students to the cybersecurity industry by providing enrichment opportunities, world-class training, and scholarships to fund advanced skills training.

 

October Declared Delaware Cybersecurity Awareness Month
Register for Activities Statewide throughout October 2022

Dover, Del. — With recent global breaches and geopolitical cyber-attacks on the rise, Governor John Carney declared October as Delaware Cybersecurity Awareness Month to highlight the importance of education for citizens and businesses. With our current physical world intertwined with the digital world, basic cyber awareness is no longer an option to fight off bad actors. The disruption of access to financial, utility, or consumer services are no longer simply an inconvenience, but a risk for individuals’ privacy to be exposed and identities stolen.  As a community, we must all be vigilant to protect our own and each other’s digital information.  The Delaware Department of Technology and Information, along with its partners, have developed month-long activities for all ages to bring awareness of cyber threats, protection methods, and response actions. Cybersecurity Awareness Month is an opportunity to bring more focus and understanding of cybersecurity at different levels from basic to advanced.  In the month of October, ALL Delaware citizens, students, business owners, and employees can participate in various events being offered throughout the State.  These include presentations, educational workshops for seniors, on-site expert events, and conferences. As part of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, DTI is also hosting our 13^th Annual Secure Delaware workshop to provide training for citizens, businesses, students, and government employees. This free, in-person event will be held Tuesday, October 4^th from 8:15 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the University of Delaware’s Clayton Hall. All activities and information on how to register can be found on DTI’s award-winning cyber website DigiKnow.Delaware.gov.

“It is more important now than ever for everyone to educate themselves on how to stay safe online and protect your data,” said Governor Carney. “To highlight the importance of education and awareness I have proclaimed October as Delaware Cybersecurity Awareness Month. I encourage everyone to take advantage of the free events available to safeguard your information and help keep Delaware secure.”

“Bad actors are working 24/7 to deceive people into providing sensitive information or gain access to critical data. According to Cybersecurity Ventures, cybercrime generates a profit of over $6 trillion and is expected to grow to $10.5 trillion by 2025,” said CIO Jason Clarke. “With Governor Carney’s support, DTI has planned multiple events throughout the State during the month of October, including our annual Secure Delaware Workshop scheduled for October 4th. This is the premier cyber event in Delaware where attendees can learn more about cybersecurity and identity protection, as well as speak directly to cyber experts.  We encourage any Delaware resident, student, or employee to join us.”

While events are planned for all month, the 2022 Secure Delaware Cyber Workshop is an opportunity to come together for all-day cyber training and access to top cyber-protective vendors.  Industry experts will be on-site to provide presentations and discussions related to the current landscape of cyber threats and related security mitigating strategies. The conference will include three keynote speakers, cyber students’ award ceremony, and choice of twelve unique cyber topics split into breakout sessions. Topics will range from current threats, newest cyber legislation, to the Anatomy of an Attack, and cyber protection strategies.  Attendees will view presentations, network with other cyber professionals, and connect with vendors. These presentations will be made available post-event on the digiknow.delaware.gov website. The event is a partnership made available by the Delaware Department of Technology and Information, Delaware League of Local Governments, Delaware Small Business Development Center, JP Morgan Chase, and the University of Delaware.

To learn more about the cyber events happening in Delaware including Secure Delaware Workshop 2022 and registration information, please visit the event page at https://digiknow.dti.delaware.gov/events/. There is no cost to attend any of the State of Delaware’s Cybersecurity Awareness Month activities. Please note that registration is limited for each of the events and final registration to attend the Secure Delaware Workshop closes September 9.

For a complete list of other Delaware Cyber Security Awareness Month activities, please visit the events calendar at DigiKnow.delaware.gov.

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About the Delaware Department of Technology and Information

The Department of Technology and Information (DTI) is the state’s central IT organization, chartered to deliver core services to other state organizations and exercise governance over the technology direction and investments of the state. DTI provides enterprise services that enable other organizations to effectively fulfill their missions.

Media Contact:
Christina Dirksen, Strategic Communications Manager, DTI
(302) 739-9736
Christina.Dirksen@state.de.us