Cybersecurity in Orlando: Cutting-Edge Innovations, Defense Tech, and Space-Age Security
Florida state and the city of Orlando
Firstly, I’d like to share a personal story: at the time we visited Orlando, I already knew that my sister and her family is relocating to this very place for a while, because her husband was offered a job there. So, it was not just the lovely atmosphere which welcomed us there, but the willingness to get to know the local society better than any other places we visited. When I’m writing these lines, I’m preparing to take them to the airport, starting their at least 2 years stay in this interesting tropical paradise.
Florida, the third-most populous state in the U.S., has around 23.4 million residents as of 2024. It has a diverse population, with approximately 27% Hispanic or Latino and 21% aged 65 and older. Florida's economy, the fourth largest in the U.S., has a gross state product of $1.7 trillion, driven by tourism, agriculture, aerospace, and international trade. The state is a major hub for finance, insurance, real estate, and healthcare services.
Geographically, Florida is a unique peninsula the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean, featuring diverse landscapes and the lowest highest point in the U.S., Britton Hill, at just 345 feet. The state is home to 12 public universities, including the University of Florida, Florida State University, the University of Central Florida, and the University of South Florida.
Florida is a leader in the aerospace industry, with significant contributions from Space Florida. It hosts numerous launches at the Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, leading the nation with 90 launches in 2024. The state is also renowned for its travel destinations, such as Orlando's theme parks, Miami's vibrant nightlife, Key West's coral reefs, and Everglades National Park's unique ecosystem.
So, Florida is a remarkable location, but from a closer look we will see that different defense bodies – including massive cyber defense capabilities can be found in here. During our stay we could experience firsthand the entire knowledge value chain works: starting with elementary education the children receive excellent preparation to become students of one of the best universities of the world. And universities work very closely together with the industry and state organizations, first of all the armed forces and NASA.
The state is also actively promoting cybersecurity. For example, I found this initiative, but there are many more initiatives available: https://cyberflorida.org/
Meta Humans
This institution was created for school-aged children and is a wonderful example of how already established knowledge can multiply itself through the efforts of enterprising and benevolent individuals. Its goal is to educate children who are homeschooled or who wish to supplement their school learning. It functions as a kind of daycare where each child has their own program, primarily catering to their interests in social sciences.
Here, almost everyone learns to program at some level, but the acquisition of knowledge doesn't stop there. For example, they can also learn about electronics and the creation of physical objects, such as using 3D printers or other technologies. It was very interesting to observe how much energy children can put into truly useful activities that involve learning, provided they have the right environment and dedicated adults with the necessary knowledge.
Let me share the thoughts of Mr. Tassin the founder and CEO. I truly believe that similar organizations should operate all over the world.
Launched in 2018, Meta Humans was founded by CEO Philippe Tassin who recognized a gap in the marketplace when it came to opportunities for enhanced child and human development.
“My late wife and I were responding to the current educational model which seemed misaligned with the needs of this generation of kids. We hoped to help young people successfully navigate potentially overwhelming changes in the world around them. We also wanted to help the next generation to learn how to be human - and how to be better humans - in a more-than-human environment.”
I suggest visiting this site and don’t hesitate to get in contact with their management. https://www.metahumans.com/why-meta-humans
Department of Computer Science at the University of Central Florida (UCF) & Hack UCF
This university, located in Orlando, is one of the most impressive facilities I have ever visited. It can be described from multiple perspectives: firstly, it is situated in a beautiful natural environment, sprawling over a vast area. The conditions are literally paradisiacal, with tropical islands, stunning vegetation, flamingos walking in the garden, and cheerful students numbering in the tens of thousands strolling between the campus buildings.
It can also be said that economically, as well as in education and research, we visited one of the world's most significant institutions. Unfortunately, I did not have the opportunity to visit all the departments; we specifically visited the area dealing with cybersecurity. Moreover, within this field, we met with some researchers and doctoral students, and we primarily got to know a cybersecurity program run by students, specifically an organization called Hack UCF. They focus on ethical hacking and have recently been the most successful in related competitions in the United States.
The Department of Computer Science at the University of Central Florida (UCF) aims to advance human understanding of computing through education and research. Their mission includes educating students to become effective team members and leaders with excellent communication and technical skills, preparing them for successful careers or advanced research. In research, they focus on high-impact studies that benefit the economy and society.
UCF’s Cyber Security and Privacy Cluster is at the forefront of data protection, exploring and developing innovative methods for security while understanding the social implications of new technology and the Internet of Things. This research provides solutions to security and privacy problems, benefiting people, businesses, and the government, and enhancing faculty expertise for teaching students. The cluster spans multiple disciplines to address these challenges comprehensively.
Yan Solihin, the Director of the Cybersecurity and Privacy Cluster at UCF, is known for his pioneering work in cache sharing fairness, memory encryption, and secure processors. He has received several prestigious awards, and his research has significantly influenced industry practices.
Ranganathan Kumar, the associate dean for research and administration for the College of Engineering and Computer Science at UCF, has a distinguished career in theoretical and applied mechanics. He has supervised numerous graduate students, published extensively, and his research has been highly cited and funded by major organizations. He serves as an associate editor and reviewer for several journals and proposal evaluation panels.
Semiconductor level security and homomorphic encryption
We listened to a lecture by the professor about the threats posed by vulnerabilities in processors and other circuits that have recently emerged or have already been exploited. Recently, several vulnerabilities have come to light that allow access to the information on a computer or server at a very low level, bypassing the operating system and even the BIOS. This also makes it possible to modify the data on the device unnoticed, and even transmitting it would not be a problem. Fortunately, we are not yet aware of widespread attacks of this nature, although they cannot be ruled out. Therefore, this is a rapidly developing area in cybersecurity.
The department is investing significant effort into understanding the vulnerabilities of circuits, their possible methods, and exploitation strategies. Both theoretical and practical research in this area is successfully ongoing. As a result of the research, businesses have already been benefited from these findings..
Homomorphic encryption is essential for maintaining data privacy while performing computations on encrypted data. This technology allows sensitive information to be processed without decryption, ensuring confidentiality and compliance with privacy regulations.
However, its usage comes with significant challenges. Homomorphic encryption is computationally intensive, leading to slower processing times and higher resource consumption. Additionally, implementing this encryption method requires specialized knowledge and expertise, making it less accessible for widespread adoption. Despite these difficulties, its potential for secure data processing in fields like healthcare, finance, and cloud computing makes it a valuable tool for enhancing cybersecurity.
This is why it’s a key area for UCF and the faculty is a worldwide pioneer in finding new and more efficient ways to address the challenge.
Here you can find publications of professor Solihin: https://sites.google.com/view/arpers/publications
Hack UCF
We met with faculty advisor Dr. Tom Nedorost and student members, mainly Kevin Kiderchah, the president of the club, to learn about the club’s influence in the UCF community. Visitors also received a tour of the Lockheed Martin Cyber Innovation Lab.
Hack@UCF, also known as UCF's Collegiate Cyber Defense Club, was formed in 2012. Its competition team began in 2013, winning 1st Place in the Southeast Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition that same year. The team won the National Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition in 2014, 2015, and 2016, and finished second in 2018, 2019, and 2020. In April 2021 and April 2022, the team again won the national championship. The club aims to foster information security awareness within the campus community.
In case you would like to compete with them on their CTF or learn from their best practices, you’ll find an open-minded team, ready for challenges and cooperation. Give it a try: https://hackucf.org
Kennedy Space center
We were not part of the professional but rather a cultural program at the Kennedy Space Center, but it turned out to be very useful. Of course, I don't want to pretend it wasn't one of the most interesting visits of my life. The space center is not just a huge museum, experience, and exhibition center, but arguably one of the most significant sites in the global space industry. Numerous rockets and other space industry equipment are on display here, showcasing almost every element of space history, with a particular focus on missions carried out by the United States.
Additionally, bus tours allow visitors to see launch sites, and we can view some of the world's largest buildings used for rocket construction and storage. There are numerous launch pads and impeccable asphalt roads built through the surrounding marshlands. During the visit, we had the opportunity to talk with a former astronaut, and our day was capped off by observing a SpaceX launch, albeit from the ocean shore rather than directly from the space station.
The Kennedy Space Center (KSC) is a hub of technological innovation and research, playing a critical role in advancing human space exploration and improving life on Earth. KSC's laboratories and research facilities focus on developing technologies for deep space missions, such as those to the Moon and Mars.
One of the key areas of research at KSC is applied physics, which tackles complex technical issues involving fluids, heat transfer, material properties, and optics. The Electrostatics and Physics Laboratory conducts investigations to protect flight hardware and launch equipment from electrostatic discharges. Additionally, KSC is pioneering efforts in space mining and dust mitigation to address challenges posed by reduced gravity environments on the Moon and Mars.
KSC's Swamp Works is an innovative facility that develops rapid, cost-effective exploration mission solutions through collaboration with NASA, industry, and academia. The center is also involved in growing plants in space, aiming to provide astronauts with fresh produce without sunlight or gravity.
Overall, the Kennedy Space Center is at the forefront of space technology and research, contributing significantly to NASA's mission and the broader scientific community.
Cybersecurity at NASA
For overall understanding of policies in place at NASA your best start is the following page: https://www.nasa.gov/cybersecurity-policies/
The structure follows well the standard of organizations similarly massive, however it’s interesting to observe, that NASA does not directly use the NIST standards, like 800-53 but has its own policy set. The detailed guides are – sadly but understandingly – classified, but the actual set of policy reference is interesting: https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/adl-12-24.docx?emrc=9d8eea
In case you consider becoming a supplier of NASA (or one of their suppliers), you’ll need to understand their standpoint regarding supply chain risk management, which is based on a new law passed by the Biden administration in 2022. https://www.nasa.gov/supply-chain-risk-management-scrm
Central Florida Tech Grove, Military training center
There’s this exceptional organization situated in Orlando, which is a revolutionary initiative to address the knowledge gap challenge for the defense sector of the US in terms of IT and cyber security capabilities.
The Central Florida Tech Grove is a collaboration between the Naval Air Warfare Center Training System Division (NAWCTSD) and the University of Central Florida (UCF) Research Foundation. It aims to connect the military with small businesses to access innovative technologies for training and human performance. Tech Grove provides both physical and virtual spaces for education, support, and industry connections.
Carol Ann Dykes Logue is a co-founder and director of Tech Grove, and she also holds several leadership roles at UCF and other organizations related to STEM and technology.
USEncryption offers a new encryption method that allows data to be processed while still encrypted, ensuring privacy and security. This method is an alternative to homomorphic encryption and is suitable for training machine learning models on encrypted data.
Team Orlando is a large consortium focused on improving human performance through simulation. It includes members from defense, government, academia, and industry, and provides comprehensive training solutions to enhance defense readiness.
They facilitate and organize trainings, events, collaborations and competitions. One example is a virtual cyber battlefront, where several major game engines are connected in a way, that you can join with different simulator platforms. We were honored to hear about the Grove directly from Ms. Carol Ann Dykes Logue, Navy and Air Force officers.
Also, nationwide CTFs and other competitions are organized, among which the most significant are created for defense tech startups. You professionals, researchers and start-up companies will find their respective events organized by the Tech Grove.
For more info check out this page: https://www.centralfloridatechgrove.org/resources
I suggest checking out the coming events of theirs, also the start-up and innovation contests they organize. Within our alliance system probably this provides one of the best access to the greatest funds from the defense sector. https://www.centralfloridatechgrove.org/events
In case you are a startup or innovator team from Hungary or Central Europe, I suggest checking one of their bootcamps and other ways of cooperation: https://www.usaaccelerator.com/en/
Cenfluence, Florida High Tech Corridor, Silicon Assurance
Our last stop in Orlando led us here. We learned that the city and Orange County both support this organization. It was established in a special, old city building, supported by real modern technology. This institution provides space for the development of local businesses and can also be used for educational and other events.
The institution is part of the Florida high-tech corridor. It operates primarily with funding from the state of Florida, and its primary goal is to provide local businesses with the knowledge and technological background needed to start, as well as all kinds of support. Since universities in Florida have a significant impact on the economy, it is not surprising that many startups also originate from this institution. The city leadership believes that cybersecurity is one area where significant growth can be achieved. They believe that the money and energy invested in this sector will pay off. But of course, not only cybersecurity, but also primarily semiconductors, health-related research results, and perhaps above all, game development are very characteristic of this region, and they anticipate future successes in these areas as well.
If someone wants to start a business in this city, they can also count on their help. Therefore, it is worth visiting the following websites and finding out what opportunities are available if someone is considering this:
The tour organized for us, however, did not stop at just getting to know the building. We heard directly from some of the organization's leaders about their missions and how their projects work. We also had the opportunity to meet 2 startup leaders in person. They are also briefly introduced here:
Xahive
Xahive is a cybersecurity company dedicated to providing secure solutions for internet-based communications. By enhancing cybersecurity governance, Xahive helps organizations reduce their overall risk indicator, leading to savings on cybersecurity insurance premiums.
The company offers a range of services, including a secure communication software that allows professionals to send real-time messages without compromising confidentiality. This service, which combines the convenience of text messaging with the functionality of email, is available on the web, Android, and iOS platforms.
In addition to software, Xahive provides cybersecurity governance consulting. They score, audit, and manage changes to ensure organizations stay current with the latest cybersecurity trends and regulations. They also offer virtual Chief Information Security Officer (vCISO) services as needed.
For businesses aiming to stay ahead in cybersecurity education, Xahive offers training for boards, c-suite executives, staff, and stakeholders. Their website, www.xahive.com, provides access to over 100 fact sheets on current cybersecurity issues. https://www.xahive.com/about
Silicon Assurance
This is a very interesting example of how a startup is realized by a PhD student from one of the universities in Florida. The founder of Silicon Assurance is an expert who has one of the most interesting publications in his field in the world. He is currently a PhD student, teaches at the university, but meanwhile, he founded his own company, which tries to meet a very specific challenge. He developed technology to counteract very low-level vulnerabilities discovered recently in semiconductor design. It is important to understand what such vulnerabilities mean, for example. Therefore, I will briefly summarize the two most well-known ones.
Spectre:
Spectre exploits a technique called speculative execution, where the processor preemptively works out possible operations to speed up processing. Attackers can manipulate this process to read memory locations allocated by the program, which they would not normally have access to.
Meltdown:
Meltdown allows a process to access all the memory of the system, including data it does not have permission to access. This vulnerability also exploits speculative execution and caching techniques. Both vulnerabilities stem from fundamental hardware design flaws, and while software patches exist, they can impact system performance.
So, Silicon Assurance is a prominent entity in the field of hardware security assurance, dedicated to enhancing the security of silicon chips. Founded with the vision of establishing trust in the silicon chips that power modern electronic devices, the company focuses on developing, licensing, and supporting innovative solutions throughout the supply chain.
Their commitment to creating pioneering EDA solutions has positioned Silicon Assurance as a key player in redefining and reinforcing trust in electronic devices. By addressing the challenges of silicon chip security, they contribute significantly to the advancement of a safer and more secure digital world.
Find out more about them: https://siliconassurance.com/about-us/
