Remarks: National Cyber Director Coker Remarks at University of Nevada, Reno

Reno, Nevada

July 26, 2024

Remarks as Prepared for Delivery

Good afternoon!

Thank you, President Sandoval, for the introduction and for inviting the Office of the National Cyber Director to campus today.

And most importantly, thank you to the teachers here today. I’m proud to be here to celebrate your hard work and incredible dedication to your students.

Both of my parents and my elder sister were educators, as is my oldest daughter, so I have personally witnessed the commitment and passion that teachers possess.

I’m thrilled to be here on behalf of the Biden-Harris Administration to see first-hand what it looks like when the National Science Foundation invests in such an important program right here in Nevada.

I had heard and now I’ve seen that UNR has been a fantastic partner. I’m so glad to be on the ground to see and learn more about how we can work together to grow the cyber workforce.

This is truly an investment in the future of America.

I’ve had the honor of serving as the National Cyber Director for nearly eight months now. During this time, I’ve gotten the opportunity to travel around the country to learn from different schools, cities, and states about what sets their cyber ecosystem apart as well as what can be leveraged and emulated elsewhere.  In fact, I just came from Glendale Community College in Arizona where I met some tremendous high school students excited to help their community as they’re gaining valuable, hands-on experience.

But today is my first visit to really sit down and learn from teachers. To go back to school, as it were.

You all are a vital piece of the puzzle. In Washington, we call what you’re doing train-the-trainer. I call it using the best resource we have: teachers.

You see, as much as our National Workforce and Education Strategy talks about degree requirements (or lack thereof), connectivity between employers, schools and non-profits, and so on, the entire strategy relies on students being interested. Being intrigued. Being curious. Believing that cyber is a career where they can contribute. Where they can make a difference.

And that’s where you all come in.

Our office – the White House Office of the National Cyber Director – is only three years old. But we were established because cybersecurity doesn’t live in just one corner of the government. Every federal agency, as well as state and local entity, touches cyber. And virtually every private sector entity, as well as academic institutions, rely on cyber and a digital foundation.

The fact that so many of you are incorporating cybersecurity into your curriculums – whether they be computer science or math or even life sciences – demonstrates the scope and breadth of cybersecurity.

I know I don’t have to tell you that your students are digital natives – which, by the way, does not mean that they are cyber savvy. But your commitment to helping them understand the security, vigilance and resilience necessary to build and thrive in our increasingly digital world, tells me that your students – and our Nation – will be well prepared for the challenges we’ll face.

A few months ago, our office released the first-ever report on the Cybersecurity Posture of the United States outlining five trends, in addition to enduring cybersecurity challenges. The strategic environment in 2023 was characterized by complexity, interconnectivity and competition and these trends will continue to shape the future.

The Posture Report laid out five threats, from risks to critical infrastructure, cybercrime which includes ransomware, exploitation of the supply chain, the rise in commercial spyware, and the rapid evolution of artificial intelligence.

Make no mistake, the future of America’s National security and economic prosperity relies on our ability to overcome the challenges of the digital ecosystem. And we need more students thinking about joining our ranks in the cybersecurity community. But, just as important, we need every American to have a better understanding of cybersecurity and how they must protect themselves.

And that is essential because the Biden-Harris Administration is advancing an affirmative vision centered on proactively and strategically shaping the digital world around us, positioning us to enable every aspect of our economy and society.

In the National Cybersecurity Strategy laid out by the Biden-Harris Administration just over a year ago, we made clear that we must shift the responsibility for defending cyberspace away from those that are least capable and onto those entities more capable of dealing with the responsibility. That’s why we’re working to shift that responsibility from individuals – as well as small businesses, houses of worship, local governments and others currently outmatched when they’re defending against nation-states and cybercriminals – and onto technology companies and the Federal government.

And yet – that doesn’t absolve every American from being aware and protecting themselves. Each of us remains responsible for not clicking on suspicious links or opening attachments from untrusted senders.

I know you understand this. And I know you’re passing that lesson onto your students.

I know this because I’ve enjoyed getting to know some of you already.

I met Carolyn, who became a cyber educator after having careers on Wall Street and then in the technology sector. Carolyn started the computer science program in Washoe County School District and applied for the Research Experience for Teachers (RET) program in 2018 to enrich the topics and activities she taught in her entry-level computer science course.

During her RET experience, her focus area was networking, and she created a lesson plan that involved her students. She did this with her lesson that asks “What happens when you hit send?” She had students up and moving around the classroom, acting out the processes so they could really see and understand the topic. It’s something I wouldn’t understand without seeing it visually. That’s what a good teacher does.

In her classroom, Carolyn focused on developing her students’ problem-solving skills – something that would benefit them, no matter what career path they chose.

Carolyn’s enthusiasm for cyber and technology topics is clear – and infectious. She used her experience with RET and her background from the tech sector to inspire many students into cyber careers. I congratulate Carolyn on her upcoming retirement, and thank her for her service to her community and our Nation.

I also met Christian, who is serving this summer as a student mentor for the RET program. When Christian was in high school at Advanced Technologies Academy in Las Vegas, one of his teachers participated in the RET program, so he got to see first-hand what it was like for this content to be integrated into his classroom experience.

Christian appreciated the hands-on nature of the digital forensics lessons his teacher developed, providing a break from lecture-style instruction to learn by doing, working closely with his classmates and photo metadata to geolocate photos from a road trip.

Now Christian is a computer science and engineering student at UNR and is using his experience with RET as a high school student to inform the development of his lesson plans for the RET teachers and to help guide the creation of their own lesson plans – also on digital forensics.

Christian has big plans to continue his studies in cyber, including a master’s degree, and then to use his experience to serve his country and the Nation will be better for it. Congratulations to Christian as well!

Every teacher I’ve ever met has a story worth telling. And recognizing.

So today I’m pleased to announce – with and on behalf of our colleagues at the Department of Education – that applications will soon be open to nominate teachers for the Presidential Cybersecurity Education Award.

Every year, we honor two teachers — one at the elementary level and one at the secondary level — who demonstrate superior achievement in instilling skills, knowledge, and passion with respect to cybersecurity and cybersecurity-related subjects.

The nomination window for that award opens next Thursday and closes August 13^th. And yes, self-nominations are accepted.

While some of you are just starting to integrate cyber into your curriculum – I hope to see your names in the future!

I spend a lot of time talking with folks all across the public and private sectors especially those who own and operate critical infrastructure. I ask them what they need to ensure they are securing their digital foundations and truly embracing cybersecurity.

Consistently I hear them say that they need two things: resources – usually funding – and staff.

Let’s take those one at a time:

The Biden-Harris Administration boldly implemented the Investing in America agenda.

Here in Nevada that means:

• First, Investing in our Digital Infrastructure: We are working to deliver affordable, reliable, high-speed Internet access to everyone in the state. The state of Nevada has received $838 million as part of the Internet for All effort.

• Second, Cybersecurity Investments: to the tune of $2.4 million to the State of Nevada to be used specifically for cybersecurity, through the State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program.

• And Third, Investments in Jobs of the Future: just a few weeks ago, close to $21 million has been awarded to the Nevada Tech Hub to lead initiatives to strengthen the state’s lithium batteries and other electric vehicle materials industry sectors. This is the only Tech Hub-funded project in the country that focuses on education and workforce development for Native American and Indigenous peoples. That’s something to be celebrated.

This is vital funding that invests in the innovation of the American people and the protection of our digital way of life.

Here’s the second thing I hear from critical infrastructure owners and operators. They need more trained, cybersecurity professionals. And they need them in a hurry.

Today, there are approximately 500,000 open cybersecurity jobs in our Nation today.

In Nevada, there are over 4,300 open jobs in cyber.

And there are more than 300 open jobs right here in Reno today.

Across America, many of these jobs are in rural and suburban areas – not just the big cities.

Many of these jobs do not require a four-year college degree.

Many of these jobs allow people to work remotely.

But we can’t fill these jobs unless we develop and train students from all backgrounds.

UNR’s designation as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity position it nicely as a leader to attract diverse and capable talent into the cyber field.  We are grateful for UNR’s focus on providing opportunities to underserved communities.

And we definitely can’t educate and train sufficient number of learners unless we have educators inspiring the next generation of cyber professionals to work in our mission space.

At the White House, we’re focused on supporting quality pathways for all Americans to secure a good-paying, meaningful job. Pursuing cyber as a career is a great way to achieve that, and each day we are making cyber careers more accessible.

But even if every person currently pursuing a degree or certificate in cybersecurity continued on to actually get a job in the field, we would still fall short of filling these roles. That’s where you come in.

Often, people think about cybersecurity in a very traditional, technological sense – it’s an IT job – rather than seeing it exists in every industry: like in the agriculture, water, banking, healthcare, and gaming sectors. In an increasingly digital world, cyber is everywhere. You yourselves are examples of how cross-cutting it is.

On behalf of the Biden-Harris Administration, I want to thank you for dedicating your time this summer to expand your own understanding of cybersecurity and committing to incorporating it into your middle school and high school curricula. You’re setting a standard for education that we need to see embraced across the country.

By embedding cyber into our academics early on, you’re not only setting up our students for success in terms of being able to navigate technology safely and responsibly, but you’re inspiring the next generation of cyber professionals.

You’ve demonstrated through this summer program, and the projects that have been undertaken across the state, that Nevada is approaching cyber workforce development and education holistically. You’re bringing people into the fold earlier, and you’re bringing in those who have been traditionally overlooked and underrepresented.

Thank you again for the work you’re doing to make sure our vision for an affirmative, values-driven digital economy is a reality.  

Thank you for your time and thoughtfulness this summer learning more about cybersecurity.

And, most importantly, thank you for everything you do all year to bring out the best in our young Americans.

I look forward to our upcoming listening session to hear about how you’re taking what you’ve learned over the past six weeks back to your classrooms.