Large and small medical clinics have a unique responsibility of maintaining patient confidentiality since they collect a large amount of Personable Identifiable Information (PII) and Electronic Protected Health Information (ePHI) (Metzger, 2016). According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), PII is any information that can be used to reveal the identity of an individual, regardless of their citizenship status in the United States (U.S.)(DHS, 2021). Sensitive PII consists of personal information such as social security numbers, medical records, criminal records, and biometrics.

The reality of cyberterrorism has prompted the United States federal government to enact legislation and form initiatives to address the cybersecurity crisis. The threat of cyberattacks has been exacerbated by the shortage of skilled IT security professionals. Community colleges play a vital role in rapidly preparing the next generation of cyber experts. Community colleges are charged with transforming novice students into skilled cybersecurity professionals. This poster will examine the transformation process at Enterprise State Community College.

Traditional programming courses have relied on students learning coding syntax from examples and other textbook sources. As students learn to write code, they become proficient in the syntax, logic, debugging and documenting their code. ChatGPT is a revolutionary method that allows students to generate new code, fix bugs and errors and assist in the writing and learning of programming languages and computational concepts.

Career and Technical Education (CTE) CyberNet seeks to increase the number of CTE teachers who can effectively prepare students for cybersecurity education and careers. CTE CyberNet is driven by a local academy approach to help teachers deliver more rigorous CTE cybersecurity programs of study aligned to industry standards and industry-valued certifications. The academies give educators strategies and tools to impart the knowledge, skills, and abilities outlined in the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) Cybersecurity Workforce Framework.

The cybersecurity workforce suffers from an ongoing talent shortage and there is a lack of information correlating cybersecurity education programs to alumni employment outcomes. This exploratory, cross-sectional study will evaluate the post-graduation employment outcomes of alumni that attended two-year colleges designated by the National Security Agency as Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense.

The HBCU Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity (AI-CyS) Research Partnership consists of the following universities: Hampton, Florida A&M, Winston Salem State, University of District of Columbia, Mississippi Valley State, Norfolk State, and Howard universities working together to increase each of our individual institute’s research capacity and enhance our research collaboration.

The CAE-CD Regional Outreach Competition Committee was established by the CAE- Community of Practice (CoP) – Cyber Defense (CD): 1) to encourage and promote cybersecurity awareness and online safety practices by taking advantage of the cybersecurity outreach CAEs do throughout the year; 2) to maximize the impacts of the CAEs on the community; and 3) to strengthen the collaborative relationships between CAE Regional Hubs and their member institutions.

Maintaining an engaged alumni community can be a challenging task. Many colleges and universities struggle to maintain relationships with alumni because they fail to foster a strong bond with the students before graduation. When students graduate, the student-institution relationship should not end; instead, it should continue progressing as needs and expectations change. Institutions should establish a robust student-institution relationship that grows throughout the student lifecycle and continues beyond graduation.