You probably don’t immediately imagine Beaufort County when you think of cutting-edge cyber technology. But the upcoming South Coast Cyber Summit is primed and ready to showcase the wide range of current affects and future possibilities that the cyber industry has in Beaufort.
The South Coast Cyber Summit is the second annual summit organized by the South Coast Cyber Center. Like the inaugural summit held last year, the event will take place in Beaufort and features panel discussions, industry presentations, and forums to discuss cyber strategies, especially in the realm of cybersecurity. Last year’s summit featured a wide variety of experts and presenters including Governor Henry McMaster, the former commander of the Marine Corps Cyberspace Forces, and representatives from the University of Notre Dame’s cyber-crime research initiative. The 2023 summit is primed to have even more star power on the stage with confirmed speakers including the commanding general of the US Army Cyber Center of Excellence, Major General Paul Stanton, the former director for cyber policy for the National Security Council Staff, Tyson Meadors, Beaufort’s own Representative Nancy Mace, and multiple other private sector experts and government officials working in the cyber industry. The event is also sponsored by cyber leaders such as PC Matic and Lockheed Martin as well as the University of South Carolina, Beaufort.
So why the big focus on cyber topics in Beaufort? Well, it may not seem like it at first glance, but the South Coast Cyber Center and other local experts see great potential for the Beaufort region to be a leader in the future of cyber technology and talent. Beaufort County is already a prime vacation destination spot with a great deal of natural beauty, history, and southern charm. Combine that with the major military installations at MCAS Beaufort and MCRD Parris Island and institutions of higher learning such as the University of South Carolina, Beaufort and Technical College of the Lowlands, and you have a local cyber-related industry with the educational facilities to support research, development, and training. To sum it up, there are not many places in the entire United States that can point to the unique combination of good location, cyber jobs, and available training programs that Beaufort has.
For the South Coast Cyber Center, these separate colliding lines of private industry, military, and education provide an opportunity waiting to be harnessed. That’s why they are focused on developing partnerships and training programs which will create high paying cyber technology jobs in the Beaufort region and establish the educational pipeline that will give local students the skills to fill those jobs. With the leaps in technology in just the last decade, it’s easy to see that the future lies in cyber technologies. And with focus and effort into initiatives such as the South Coast Cyber Summit, Beaufort can be a strong leader in this space for decades to come.
The 2nd Annual South Coast Cyber Summit will take place on March 20-21. See here for more information: https://www.southcoastcybersummit.com/
