Happy New Year, Cybersecurity Heroes! We are thrilled to welcome you to 2024, a year full of exciting opportunities for the cybersecurity ecosystem in Massachusetts.

Critical Infrastructure Toolkit Now Available

The MassCyberCenter is pleased to welcome new leaders onto the Massachusetts Cybersecurity Strategy Council. The Strategy Council guides the MassCyberCenter and the Commonwealth on matters relating to cybersecurity and facilitates collaborative actions within the cybersecurity ecosystem. Our new members are:

• Peter Bauer, Board of Directors, Mimecast
• Robert Blumofe, Chief Technical Office, Akamai
• Adam Chapdelaine, Executive Director, Massachusetts Municipal Association
• Stephanie Helm, War Game Specialist, Naval War College (MassCyberCenter Director 2018-2023)

These new members joined the Strategy Council’s December 2023 meeting, which included remarks from EOTSS Secretary and Commonwealth CIO Jason Snyder (pictured above).

Apply Now to Mentor Cybersecurity Students in Massachusetts

Applications for the Spring Cohort of the Cybersecurity Mentorship Program Are Open Until February 19th

The Cybersecurity Mentorship Program matches diverse cybersecurity undergraduate students with a professional mentor. The goal of this program is to expand the diversity of the cybersecurity talent pool in Massachusetts. 

Mentors accepted into the program will be matched with a student mentee to have a one-on-one, ongoing dialogue on careers in cybersecurity and work together on a cybersecurity project. Each mentor and mentee are expected to meet for one hour every two weeks at a minimum. The spring cohort runs from early March through May and most activities will take place virtually.

The program has welcomed 91 mentors from 55 companies and 215 students from 39 schools over the seven sessions.

The Fall 2023 session welcomed mentors from 11 new companies to the program, including: Advanced Energy, Advansappz, Advisor360, Allstate Identity Protection, Cape Cod Healthcare, CyberTrust Massachusetts, Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston, Insulet Corporation, Raytheon Technologies, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, and Zscaler.

Join Us at the 2024 MMA Annual Meeting & Trade Show

The MassCyberCenter will once again be leading a workshop panel at the Massachusetts Municipal Association Annual Meeting and Trade Show on Friday, January 19th. The workshop, titled Municipal Cybersecurity Update, will feature state and national experts who will share recent cybersecurity trends and outline ways to protect municipalities from cyberattacks. Attendees will leave with an updated roadmap of state, federal and local resources that can be put into action.

The workshop will feature our Director, John Petrozzelli as the moderator and the following Cybersecurity experts:

• Greg Bautista, Attorney & Partner, Mullen Coughlin
• Colby Cousens, IT Director, North Shore IT Collaborative
• Brian Gavioli, Detective Lieutenant, Department of State Police's Commonwealth Fusion Center
• Susan Noyes, Director, Office of Municipal & School Technology, Executive Office of Technology Services & Security
• Taylor Reynolds, Technology Policy Director, MIT Internet Policy Research Initiative
• Pete Sherlock, Chief Executive Office, CyberTrust Massachusetts

Introducing CAM's Manufacturing Cybersecurity Program



Assisting Massachusetts manufacturers to bolster cybersecurity

The new Manufacturing Cybersecurity Program is organized by our fellow MassTech division, the Center for Advanced Manufacturing (CAM). This program connects to CAM's Massachusetts Manufacturing Accelerate Program (MMAP) and is a reflection of the state's on-going commitment to strengthening all aspects of the manufacturing industry. Grants of up to $30,000 in capital cost share for cybersecurity infrastructure improvement projects are available.

Massachusetts-based small to medium sized manufacturers are encouraged to apply to enhance cybersecurity infrastructure to meet requirements from customers, strengthen the security of their networks, and allow them to enter additional markets.



Please share this great opportunity with your network! Full program details can be found here and please email manufacturing@masstech.org with any questions.

Volunteer to Conduct Mock Interviews with Future Cybersecurity Heroes

Per Scholas Greater Boston is calling for volunteers to conduct mock interviews with their current students to prepare them for future job interviews.

The interview dates will take place in Q1 and Q2 2024 and are aimed at helping the students gain confidence, refine their interview skills, and prepare for their future careers.

If you have any questions about this opportunity, please contact bdrees@perscholas.org.