Ernie Ferraresso leads The Florida Center for Cybersecurity at the University of South Florida, also known as Cyber Florida at USF, working with industry, academia, and the private sector to make Florida the leading state in cybersecurity through education, research, and community outreach and engagement. The Center works closely with government, critical infrastructure, and law enforcement to enable efforts and lead programs that improve Florida’s cyber resilience and strengthen Florida’s cyber workforce. Cyber Florida at USF engages across multiple sectors to expand Florida’s cybersecurity education in Florida’s public school system.
Before joining Cyber Florida, Ernie worked for a small technology design and integration firm as the Director of Operations, overseeing the design and implementation of cybersecurity and emergency operations center technology solutions in the U.S. and throughout Latin America.
He is a retired U.S. Marine Intelligence Officer who served in the U.S. and abroad. His work included assignments with U.S. Special Operations Forces, the Intelligence Community, the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies, and U.S. Cyber Command.