Governor Ron DeSantis Recognizes October as
Cybersecurity Awareness Month

TALLAHASSEE, FL – Governor Ron DeSantis has proclaimed October 2022 as Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Cybersecurity Awareness Month fosters Floridians’ awareness about protecting their online information and the measures the state has taken to protect and prepare Floridians against cyber threats. It also highlights the wide range of cybersecurity job opportunities available to Floridians. The Proclamation can be found here ( 211.86 KB).

“With Governor DeSantis’ focus and investments in cybersecurity, The Florida Digital Service (FL[DS]) has done a fantastic job of building both the technical capabilities and the collaboration necessary to improve the state’s cybersecurity posture,” said Pedro Allende, Secretary of Management Services. “The team at FL[DS] has built innovative and creative solutions in a relatively short period of time and has spent a considerable amount of time working across government, with private sector and academic partners, and trusted providers to explain its offerings, the value they add, and how we all benefit by working together.”

Since 2019, Governor DeSantis has approved more than $334 to strengthen Florida’s cybersecurity capabilities against cyber threats – the largest cybersecurity investment made in state history. These investments are essential our ability to identify and mitigate threats, and provide the resilience and continuity that our state and its citizens demand.  Florida is also working to enhance the capabilities of Florida’s Cybersecurity Operations Center, provide training and technical assistance to local governments, and develop innovative solutions are fundamental to protecting sensitive data and Floridians’ information.   

Founded in 2020, FL[DS] leads cybersecurity in state government. In this role, FL[DS] handles proactive aspects of state cybersecurity like strategic planning and advising across state government, but also serves as the lead on incident response. This year, FL[DS] is extending its efforts by working with local governments through much needed support and technical assistance on cybersecurity investments and working with Florida universities to create more opportunities for the bright students who will become our future cyber defenders.

“Under Governor DeSantis’ leadership, FL[DS] has worked diligently to create solutions that CIOs and Information Security Managers can take advantage of with confidence. Much of our work has been to recruit top talent to join us and design our Cybersecurity Operations Center (CSOC) in a way that gives us visibility across state government to respond but that supports the various choices of the CIOs within the community,” said James Grant, State Chief Information Officer. “But the other large investment of time has been working within the state, with our partners, and local governments, to educate them about our work, and establish relationships and trust in our team and mission. Without the partnership of our colleagues across state government and across the state, this work would not be possible and much of the credit belongs to them.”

“No governor in state history has done more to develop Florida’s cybersecurity capabilities than Ron DeSantis. Prior to him taking office, zero state agencies were actively collaborating or sharing security data in real-time and there was no entity responsible for cybersecurity in Florida. Today, thirty state agencies are now sharing security data with the Florida Digital Service as we collectively establish and enhance the state’s first ever Cybersecurity Operations Center. This foundation for the future of cybersecurity would not have been laid without the leadership of Ron DeSantis,” added Grant.

“Cybersecurity is essential for economic growth and resiliency, and under Governor DeSantis’ leadership, the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity is proud to partner with state agencies and organizations to protect Florida’s small businesses from cybersecurity threats,” said Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) Secretary Dane Eagle. “We will continue to strengthen Florida’s small business community with valuable cybersecurity resources to ensure they are able to thrive.”

Floridians can participate in Cybersecurity Awareness Month by learning about cybersecurity, adopting proactive cyber practices such as creating strong passwords, frequently monitoring accounts, keeping device software up to date, using secure connections, and installing anti-virus programs to mitigate the dangers of cyber threats. We also encourage Floridians with an interest and experience in cybersecurity to join our team.

To learn more about joining FL[DS], please visit digital.fl.gov/apply.

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About the Florida Department of Management Services
The Department of Management Services is the primary business and workforce services provider to Florida government. For more information, visit www.dms.myflorida.com.

About the Florida Digital Service
The Florida Digital Service (FL[DS]), housed within DMS, was established in 2020 to deliver better government services and transparency to Floridians and is focused on several key objectives including: cybersecurity, data interoperability, procurement reforms, cloud adoption, and modernization. FL[DS] was designated as the acting lead entity for cybersecurity, responsible for establishing and operating Florida’s first enterprise cybersecurity operations center. For more information, visit digital.fl.gov.