UWF Center for Cybersecurity and AI

🚨 HAPPENING TOMORROW! 🚨

Don’t let AI be someone else’s advantage. Join us Tuesday, August 11, from 4:30 – 5:30 PM (CT) for a FREE live informational webinar!

Graduating or working in the AI era isn’t a disadvantage—it’s your greatest opportunity. You don’t need a whole new major, but you do need the right skills. The future belongs to professionals who know how to leverage AI. Are you ready to be one of them?

What We’ll Cover:
Meet UWF faculty, get your questions answered live, and learn how to enroll in our new certificates for this fall:

🎓 AI in Practice Undergraduate Certificate — Foundational AI & machine learning skills tailored for any career path.
👉 https://uwf.edu/programs/online/ai-in-practice-certificate/

🤖 AI in Practice Graduate Certificate — Practical AI skills designed for students in any major and working professionals across industries.
👉 https://uwf.edu/programs/online/ai-in-practice-graduate-certificate/

🔐 AI & Cybersecurity Graduate Certificate — Apply advanced AI, ML, and deep learning tools to combat modern cyber threats.
👉 https://uwf.edu/programs/online/ai-and-cybersecurity-graduate-certificate/

🎟️ Spots are limited—reserve yours before tomorrow!
🔗 Register Here: https://UWF_CCAI_Certifications.eventbrite.com

📩 Questions? Reach out to us at [email protected]

University of West Florida

The UWF Center for Cybersecurity and AI is expanding its team — and we're looking for an IT Manager who thrives at the intersection of infrastructure, security, and mission-driven work.

You'll be the engine behind the Florida Cyber Range, our data center, and the AI systems that power hands-on cybersecurity education, applied research, and community outreach across the region.

In this role, you will:
🔹 Keep critical systems — servers, networks, virtualization platforms — running securely and reliably
🔹 Own cybersecurity controls, patching, and compliance across university and industry frameworks (NIST, CIS, STIG)
🔹 Be the technical bridge between the Center and University IT Services
🔹 Empower faculty and researchers with the tools they need to teach and innovate

You bring:
🎓 A degree in IT, Computer Science, Cybersecurity, or related field (or equivalent hands-on experience)
📜 Certifications like Network+ or Security+
🛠️ Comfort managing multiple priorities in a fast-moving environment

Bonus points for: Proxmox/VMware/KVM experience, multi-OS administration, PKI/VPN know-how, and cloud identity tools like Microsoft Entra or JumpCloud.

If you want your IT skills to directly support the next generation of cybersecurity talent, this is your seat at the table.

📅 Applications close August 10, 2026
👉 Apply here: https://uwf.edu/centers/cybersecurity-and-ai/about-the-center/jobs/

University of West Florida

🛡️ Free Cybersecurity Strategy Training for Florida's Public Sector Leaders

The UWF Center for Cybersecurity and AI, in partnership with the FIU Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy, is offering a Cybersecurity Leadership and Strategy Professional Education Program designed specifically for elected officials, municipal leaders, and state government personnel.

This program equips leaders with the skills to navigate cybersecurity policy, strategy, and incident response — directly addressing the requirements of the 2022 Local Government Cybersecurity Act (Florida Statute Section 282.3185).

What participants will gain:
🔹 A working knowledge of the NIST Cybersecurity Framework as a benchmark for best practices
🔹 Content tailored to varied leadership levels and local government contexts
🔹 Hands-on experiential exercises and simulations — identifying threats, building strategies, and responding to realistic cyber-attack scenarios
🔹 Group discussions, team activities, and practical exercises that translate directly into organizational compliance and resilience

📅 Upcoming Virtual Sessions:
October 22, 2026 (Thursday) | 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. CT
November 17, 2026 (Tuesday) | 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. CT

✅ Free for Florida state, county, municipal, and city employees in leadership, management, and executive roles
✅ Fulfills the training requirement for Florida state and local government executive, managerial, technical, and general staff per Florida Legislation HB5001, Section 2944B
✅ Provided at no cost through the Cyber Florida FirstLine initiative, funded by the Florida Legislature and led by Cyber Florida at USF

📝 Registration is required — seats are limited.
👉 Register online: https://wkf.ms/3ZXACP8

Whether you're building your first cybersecurity strategy or strengthening an existing one, this training gives Florida's public sector leaders the tools to protect their communities in an evolving threat landscape.

University of West Florida, Cyber Florida: The Florida Center for Cybersecurity

WORKING PROFESSIONALS

Don’t compete with AI - Lead with it.

AI isn't just changing technology. It's changing expectations.

Your experience got you this far. Now pair it with AI to create greater value for your organization.

Learn by doing. Use real AI tools to solve actual problems. Evaluate AI’s results before acting on them. Become the person your team trusts to separate hype from fact.

No coding required and as a bonus also earn college credit.

The future belongs to professionals who understand AI. Are you ready to be one of them? Join us on Tuesday, August 11, 2026 from 4:30 – 5:30 PM (CT) for a FREE informational webinar.

Learn about the new cybersecurity and AI certificates being offered this fall.

🎓 AI in Practice Undergraduate Certificate — foundational AI & machine learning skills for any career path (https://uwf.edu/programs/online/ai-in-practice-certificate)

🤖 AI in Practice Graduate Certificate — practical AI skills for students in any major and working professionals across any industry (https://uwf.edu/programs/online/ai-in-practice-graduate-certificate)

🔐 AI & Cybersecurity Graduate Certificate — apply advanced AI, ML, and DL tools to combat modern cyber threats(https://uwf.edu/programs/online/ai-and-cybersecurity-graduate-certificate)

Get your questions answered live, meet UWF faculty, and learn how to enroll for the upcoming term.

📌 Register now — spots are limited! 🔗 https://UWF_CCAI_Certifications.eventbrite.com

Questions? [email protected]

🚨UWF's CCAI Launches Fall Certification Prep Courses to Fast-Track Your AI & Cybersecurity Career!

Three programs. Industry-recognized credentials. No hidden costs.

📌 CompTIA Security+: 8 weeks of instruction + 1 week of testing. Covers network, application, and device security fundamentals — the foundation every security professional needs.

📌 CompTIA CySA+ (Cybersecurity Analyst): 8 weeks of instruction + 1 week of testing. Focused on threat detection, analysis, and incident response for those ready to move into analyst-level roles.

📌 EC-Council CAIPM (AI Program Manager): Built for professionals leading AI strategy, implementation, and organizational alignment initiatives.

Every course INCLUDES your exam voucher and all required materials — you show up, we handle the rest.

Whether you're validating your expertise, pivoting into a new role, or preparing to lead AI and cybersecurity initiatives at your organization, this is a smart investment in where the industry is heading.

👉 Learn more and register: https://uwf.edu/continuinged/programs/career-training/cfcandai-courses/

University of West Florida

🚨We're excited to share this announcement as we continue our mission of being a national leader in cybersecurity and artificial intelligence education!

UWF Center for Cybersecurity and AI receives $1.74M NSF award to advance AI and cybersecurity education and workforce development - University of West Florida Newsroom The UWF Center for Cybersecurity and AI, or CCAI, has received a $1.74 million award from the National Science Foundation through its new CyberAICorps Scholarship for Service, or CyberAI SFS, program to prepare the next generation of professionals to address emerging challenges at the intersection o...

💡ICYMI: The center's Connar McCasland discusses how to spot fake AI images in this WEAR ABC 3 News, Pensacola interview.

🎦https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgRrDgJk1_U

University of West Florida

Connar McCasland discusses AI Fake Images with WEAR-TV News Cybersecurity instructor Connar McCasland, shares insights on how t...

📱 A CENTCOM memo warning deployed troops that their cellphones may be confiscated is a stark reminder of how much data our devices quietly collect — and why that matters for national security.

Admiral Brad Cooper's memo to service members in the Middle East comes after videos posted online by troops showed rocket and missile strikes on U.S. bases — footage the Pentagon fears could expose sensitive information like exact GPS coordinates to adversaries, including Iran.

Guy Garrett, M.S., M.B.A., associate director of technology and training at the UWF Center for Cybersecurity and AI, broke down exactly why this concern is so real:

"The problem with a cellphone is that it is collecting information on you constantly. A lot of people don't realize the dangers of advertising trackers. Those things can be used to target your phone and determine where you are."

Garrett also pointed out a detail many overlook when posting video online:

"If I put a video out there... if they are communicating wirelessly, they are going to be embedding GPS location. Your phone definitely does."

This story is a powerful example of a lesson that applies well beyond the battlefield: our devices are constantly generating metadata — location, timestamps, network activity — that can be exploited if we're not careful about what we share and how. Understanding these risks is foundational to the work we do every day at the Center for Cybersecurity and AI.

📰 Read the full story: https://weartv.com/news/local/centcom-memo-warns-deployed-troops-phones-may-be-confiscated-over-iran-data-fears

University of West Florida, WEAR ABC 3 News, Pensacola, Brent Kearney

CENTCOM memo warns deployed troops phones may be confiscated over Iran data fears PENSACOLA, Fla. -- The Pentagon says Iran could be using the cellphone data of U.S service members against them.This week, CENTCOM Admiral Brad Cooper sent a me

🚨 A fake AI-generated photo of an "immigration checkpoint" recently spread across social media in Niceville, Florida — and it's a sharp reminder of why AI literacy matters more than ever.

The image, showing officers and vehicles pulled over at a real intersection with a sign reading "Immigration Checkpoint Ahead," looked convincing enough that the Niceville Police Department was flooded with calls from concerned residents and other agencies. Police Chief Mark Hayse confirmed the photo was entirely fabricated using AI — there has been no immigration enforcement in the community.

Connar McCasland, cybersecurity instructor with the UWF Center for Cybersecurity and AI, weighed in on just how difficult it's becoming to separate real from fake:

"We're at a phase right now where it's getting harder and harder for even professionals to tell the difference between what's real and what's not."

McCasland noted that telltale signs — like distorted numbers, faces, or subtle inconsistencies — can still help identify AI-generated images, but the real long-term solution is education:

"The bad guys keep trying to improve, but education is the biggest part that combats this misinformation and disinformation with AI."

This story is a powerful example of why the work we do at the Center for Cybersecurity and AI matters — equipping communities with the knowledge to critically evaluate what they see online, especially as generative AI tools become more accessible and convincing.

📰 Read the full story: https://weartv.com/news/local/niceville-police-debunk-immigration-checkpoint-image-made-with-ai

University of West Florida

Niceville Police debunk 'immigration checkpoint' image made with AI NICEVILLE, Fla. -- Artificial intelligence strikes again. The Niceville Police Department is sounding the alarm after an image of a fake immigration checkpoint