Spring Luncheon Presents STEM Education and the Current Cyber Climate

The chapter hosted its Spring Luncheon at the Carolina Skies Club, Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. The guest speaker was Maj. Gen. Todd McCaffrey, USA (Ret.), director of Military Affairs at the University of South Carolina. He spoke on STEM education and the current cyber climate. He also talked about multiple cyber threats and the challenges they bring. The general mentioned a divide between 'digital natives' and 'digital immigrants' and how we can bridge that gap by growing programs in nontraditional markets like online schooling. Additionally, Gen. McCaffrey discussed the threat to national security in the cyber domain and how it could be fought with increased undergraduate/ROTC interest and attracting students to government jobs. The University of South Carolina envisions South Carolina becoming a visionary leader for optimizing the full spectrum of a cyber ecosystem. The goals that drive that vision are: integrating the statewide cyber ecosystem; strengthening cyber prevention/detection/response/mitigation capabilities; and competing for cyber assets as an economic driver.

Gen. McCaffrey shared early insights as to industry, stating that cyber 'fatigue' and confusion are very common and attracting/retaining talent requires legislative support. He emphasized points such as the need for a cohesive state cyber identify and the fact that cyber must be an "and" not an "or."

The general's closing remarks pertained to the current initiatives that University of South Carolina offers, such as Carolina Online (a fully online bachelor of science degree program to attract active-duty military); Cyber Intel Degree Program - College of Arts and Sciences, which prepares students for analyzing cyber challenges holistically; and the Cybersecurity Legal Task Force - School of Law informing legal professions on cyber attacks and strategies to mitigate risk of attacks.

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