Remarks: National Cyber Director Coker at Pennsylvania Cybersecurity Center

Hermitage, Pennsylvania

September 17, 2024

Remarks as Prepared for Delivery

Good afternoon!

Thank you, PCC Board members, Craig Columbus and Jeff Meier.

Thank you, Executive Director, Brad Callaja, and the rest of LindenPointe Development Corp’s Pennsylvania Cybersecurity Center for hosting us today.

To the students, faculty, and other partners, thank you for joining us. It has been a pleasure meeting and learning from you today.

On behalf of the Biden-Harris Administration, I am grateful to be here today.

I’ve had the honor to serve as the National Cyber Director for over nine months, I have seen a lot of “best practices.”

I saw a focus on bringing cybersecurity jobs for those without four-year college degrees in Wisconsin. In Arizona, I saw a community college’s SOC providing a local town with cybersecurity services.

I have seen communities coming together in support of Veterans and military spouses on their journey to cyber jobs in North Carolina.

And here in Hermitage, Pennsylvania, you have added to the list of best practices!

Right here in Hermitage, like many great places across our beloved Nation, the community is in the midst of writing a tremendous comeback story.

After manufacturers shipped jobs overseas and mining jobs decreased, many of you found pathways to good-paying meaningful jobs harder to come by.

But, many of you have also learned that a career in cybersecurity can bring an opportunity for a better future.

You are leading this effort by building a pathway for Americans to good-paying, meaningful jobs that protect our Nation’s security, economic prosperity and technological innovation.

That is why I am here today, in Hermitage, and in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Everywhere I’ve gone, I have been proud to share how the important investments from the Biden-Harris Administration – especially those expanding our digital infrastructure and providing much-needed cybersecurity and training resources – are helping protect our Nation.

Here’s what impressed me about what we saw today: The Pennsylvania Cybersecurity Center has shown us what a true grassroots approach looks like. You all are identifying, training, and inspiring cyber talent and you’re doing it right.

PCC has reached out and targeted high school, college students, and adult learners who are looking for that second career in cyber. Today, PCC is already serving students from 10 high schools, with the goal of reaching 69 high schools in eight counties by 2026.

More importantly, PCC is meeting people where they are in their lives.

You have built a program for all working people.

Here at PCC, you have created a curriculum that allows for online night schools led by a live instructor from the area. 

And, because you know that many of your students need a flexible schedule, you record your classes too.

PCC is making sure your students are put into a situation where they can get their certificate and find success.

In October 2023, the LindenPointe Development Corp’s Pennsylvania Cybersecurity Center received $1.15 million from the Appalachian Regional Commission through its POWER Initiative – funding that is a vital part of the Biden-Harris Invest in America agenda.

And thanks to this funding, soon PCC will have a hands-on cyber range.

Students will have new opportunities to grow their talents with skills-based learning.

Skills-based learning allows students to get the leg-up on the competition. 

Last July, President Biden released the National Cyber Workforce and Education Strategy. It is a foundational document that focuses our collective effort on growing the cyber workforce. And, let me be clear, having a strong cyber workforce isn’t only a matter of national security, it is also a matter of economic prosperity and technological innovation.

When I was in uniform, it was almost exclusively those of us in the Federal Government who were on the front lines against Nation-states.

But today, in our increasingly digital world, all of us can find ourselves up against bad cyber actors – whether they are foreign Governments or cyber criminals. And that’s a real concern for small businesses, state, local, territorial, and Tribal Governments, as well as those that own and operate critical infrastructure.

Today, there are approximately half a million – 500,000 – open cybersecurity jobs in our great Nation.

Right here in Pennsylvania, over 37,000 people are employed in cyber careers. And still — there are almost 12,000 open cybersecurity jobs in the state. Many of these jobs are remote, which will allow individuals to stay in their area.

While we’ve made great progress, there’s still more work to be done. So, we must open up the pathways to help more Americans find their way into cybersecurity.

And that’s why we’ve recently begun our Service for America campaign to encourage more Americas to take up a career in cyber. Whether in the Federal Government or in industry, you can serve our great Nation. You can visit whitehouse.gov/ServiceForAmerica to learn more.

You’ll note that there isn’t only one way to have a cyber career. You don’t have to have a computer science or technology-focused degree – or even have a four-year degree – to serve in a cyber role.

And the Biden-Harris Administration is invested in making sure that there are multiple pathways available for anyone who wants to begin a cyber career. Students are getting invaluable, real-world experience through a broad range of paid internships. Internships at local businesses, utilities, banks, insurance, and more. And the Biden-Harris Administration is invested in making sure that there are multiple pathways available for anyone who wants to begin a cyber career.

Students are getting invaluable, real-world experience through a broad range of paid internships. Internships at local businesses, utilities, banks, insurance, and more.

It really is a win-win situation. Student interns are using their knowledge to protect their communities today. At the same time, they are becoming the future cyber workforce and will be ready to go on day-one when they move into the workforce full time. 

Today, we met Rick Bruckner, a former chef and 911 Dispatcher at the Mercer County Dep of Public Safety.

The Pennsylvania Cybersecurity Center has given him the opportunity to make his dreams of a more secure world possible.

When the grueling 16-hour days became too much for his body to handle, he left the culinary world and became a 911 Dispatcher. He spent three years at the Mercer County Department of Public Safety and that opened his eyes to the threats of hackers and scam artists.

Hearing the cries of an 80-year-old widow who lost everything she and her late husband worked a lifetime to build is something a person never forgets.

Unfortunately, he’s taken far too many of these calls.

These victims are the reason why he decided to change his life and enter the field of cybersecurity.

The citizens of our country, and all countries, deserve the right to safety from nefarious individuals and organizations.

Rick’s commitment to be part of the fight to keep our country and our beloved citizens safe is inspiring.

The Pennsylvania Cybersecurity Center has offered him an amazing educational experience to make this dream a reality.

Rick is seen as “non-traditional “student. I see Rick as a true patriot.

Rick, thank you for being a part of the cyber workforce and answering the call for service.

I also had the opportunity to meet with Josh Marshall, a local Penn State student who will be finishing the course this spring.

Josh is a dedicated Cybersecurity Analytics and Operations major.

Throughout his academic journey, Josh not only completed a paid cybersecurity internship at The Primary Health Network, but he also successfully completed the educational program with the Pennsylvania CyberSecurity Center, further honing his expertise in the field.

As the Cybersecurity Club president, Josh demonstrates strong leadership and teamwork skills. After graduation, Josh plans to obtain his cybersecurity certification. He aims to secure a position with a company that recognizes and rewards his skills and abilities, allowing him to continue growing and contributing to cybersecurity.

Josh, we appreciate your leadership. Young leaders like yourself are pushing boundaries in cyber. I look forward to watching your career develop.

Thank you, Josh.

I am proud of the work I have seen here in Hermitage and of the many private sector, non-profit, and academic partners that have stepped up to participate in the important work of growing the cyber workforce.

And I am proud of the investments that the Federal Government is making in Pennsylvania to help connect more Americans to good-paying, meaningful jobs in cyber.

As the White House National Cyber Director, I spend a lot of time speaking with leaders across the critical infrastructure sectors, and I repeatedly hear two things.

First, they need resources and second, they need more people who are ready to join the cyber workforce.

Thanks to the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda, we are making sure that more resources become available. And thanks to the work we’ve seen today, you’re taking those investments and creating the workforce of the future.

As a matter of fact, Gary Gulla talked earlier about the impact of the region’s partnerships with the Federal Government.

So allow me to take a moment and share with you how the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda has been delivering for Pennsylvania.

Investments in: digital infrastructure across the state, investments that connect more people to education and training, and investments that open up more job opportunities.

Specifically, $2 billion has been invested to provide affordable and reliable high-speed internet across all of Pennsylvania.

This includes:

• Over $1.1 billion to build high-speed internet infrastructure, as well as teach skills and provide equipment so everyone can use the internet;
• Almost $8 million to reduce the cost of bringing high-speed internet service to unserved and underserved communities; and
•  $27 million to promote digital inclusion and advance equity by ensuring that all communities have access to affordable, reliable high-speed internet.

We’ve also invested in statewide cybersecurity planning activities, specifically with $1.2 billion going to Pennsylvania to help with the necessary planning to prepare for, respond to, and prevent cyber attacks, as the state – and world – are increasingly connected and digitized.

So, as I said. We’re delivering for Pennsylvania.

And it’s not only the Federal Government that’s delivering. We’re happy to lead much of this activity but filling the hundreds of thousands of cyber jobs in this Nation will require unprecedented coordination across the public and private sectors, employers, schools, and more.

Today I’m proud to echo the great announcement made today and say that this community is stepping.

The Pennsylvania Cybersecurity Center -PCC – is formally committing to the development of its new cybersecurity center and cyber range, located within the eCenter right here in Hermitage, PA. This facility will be the first cybersecurity center hosted in a LEED® Silver Certified building in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Designed to support the growing demands of the cybersecurity sector, the center will offer in-person classes, camps, and programs, as well as a state-of-the-art cyber range for training and penetration testing.

I’m also pleased to recognize Mercyhurst University in Erie, PA. Today they are announcing the first-ever cyber dual enrollment program for autistic high school students in Western Pennsylvania in partnership with PCC.

Through cyber coursework and support programming, the partnership will bolster PCC’s efforts to create a technology and innovation ecosystem to address cybersecurity and technology challenges and will facilitate neurodivergent Americans’ entry into cyber careers.

Sincerely, thank you all for your leadership. You all are getting it done.

And the Federal Government is doing our part too. In April, the Biden-Harris Administration announced the effort to remove four-year degree requirements for cyber and tech jobs in the Federal Government. We hope that means some of the impressive learners I met today will join us in advancing America’s prosperity and security.

We want this region to know that we will continue to work with you to drive economic comebacks in your towns and cities, providing new opportunities for entrepreneurs, new markets for manufacturers, and good-paying, high-quality jobs for America workers.

For centuries Pennsylvania coal miners and steelworkers in this region looked after each other’s wellbeing.

They had each other’s back every day when they went to work.

That mission of safety and community is still with us today.

Cybersecurity helps keeps us all safe.

We need ALL Americans to step up to this challenge.

Today, I got to witness first-hand how PCC and your local partners are working together so that, no matter which pathway they take, students are well-equipped to meet the growing need for cyber talent.

You all are doing great work here in Hermitage and our country will be safer and more prosperous because of it.

Thank you again and keep up the great work.