Building NYC’s Cyber Future

Cyber NYC is a City initiative organized around three strategies:

1. Developing the cyber workforce of the future
2. Catalyzing the next billion-dollar company
3. Establishing NYC as the capital of the global cybersecurity industry

By implementing these strategies, we aim to spur the creation of 10,000 cybersecurity jobs.  To make this happen, we’re working with all the stakeholders in the NYC cyber ecosystem—corporations, venture capitalists, thought leaders, students, universities, public officials, and members of the cyber workforce. Cyber NYC was established through a $100 million suite of public-private investments.

Cyber Threats Are Everywhere

The digitization of the global economy has created unprecedented opportunity. But it has also created new forms of risk from cyberattacks. These attacks can expose sensitive personal data, compromise key infrastructure like power grids and water supplies, threaten the foundations of our government, and result in severe financial and reputational losses for businesses. The 2017 Equifax data breach showed how vulnerable we are—exposing the personal data of 143 million customers, including over 200,000 credit card details.

The threat is particularly acute in a global economic hub like New York City, with trillions of dollars of financial assets and more multi-billion-dollar media companies than any other city in the world. But even small businesses are at high risk—1.6 million New Yorkers are employed by such enterprises, 60 percent of which go out of business within six months of a cyber-attack.

The Opportunity

NYC has all the ingredients to become the next global cybersecurity innovation and talent hub. The development and growth of the industry has a crucial role to play in the City’s broader economic development strategy, providing opportunity to New Yorkers of all backgrounds and setting a new standard in creating the most diverse tech ecosystem in the world. This city has the talent, drive, and resources to meet the cybersecurity challenge and seize this unprecedented opportunity.

Building Talent

We're working with partners across industry and academia to empower New Yorkers by giving them the skills to succeed in the new cyber economy. Our programs include undergraduate, graduate, retraining, and continuing education programs.

• The Tech-in-Residence Cyber Corps (Undergraduate Program)

Operated by CUNY and SBS
Training cybersecurity industry professionals to teach as adjuncts across CUNY campuses in order to align academia with employer needs and fill the talent gap in the industry.

• CCNY Cybersecurity Master’s Degree

Operated by CUNY
A new cybersecurity master’s degree designed as a collaboration between academia and industry partners such as Facebook, offering flexible scheduling to accommodate working professionals—all for under $20K.

• The Fullstack Cyber Bootcamp

Operated by Fullstack Academy
An accelerated training program that launches New Yorkers with no previous cybersecurity experience into careers in the industry, combining technical cybersecurity skills training and hands-on experience in simulated cyberattacks.

• The LaGuardia Community College Cyber Bootcamp Bridge

Operated by LaGuardia Community College - This program is not currently active
A free connector program to the Fullstack Cyber Bootcamp, that recruited and prepared students with nontraditional educational backgrounds for career success.

• Stackable Credentials Program

Operated by NYU- This program is not currently active
A program that provided credentials able to be accumulated over time and moved individuals up the cybersecurity career ladder through one-month, self-paced online modules focused on cybersecurity topics created by industry leaders.

Catalyzing Innovation

We're bringing NYC's cybersecurity community together to share ideas, research, and talent, and funding. In doing so, we are planting the seeds for a vibrant and self-sustaining cyber ecosystem that will enable entrepreneurs and companies to thrive.

• Global Cyber Center

Operated by SOSA
The center of gravity for New York City’s cybersecurity community, offering annual curated events, bringing together key corporate, investor, startup, government, and global cyber stakeholders.

• The Scalarator

Operated by JVP
New York City’s first scale-up accelerator focused on growing enterprise-ready, cybersecurity startups, offering participating startups access to potential customers, investors, industry mentors, personnel, funding, and workspace.

• Cyber Moonshot Challenge

Operated by the Mayor’s Office of the Chief Technology Officer and Other Partners
This civic challenge promoted cybersecurity solutions for NYC’s small and mid-sized businesses, with a $1 million investment prize offered to eligible finalists.

• Inventors to Founders

Operated by Columbia University - This program is not currently active
Connected academics developing cybersecurity research from across NYC’s leading universities to entrepreneurs who brought that research to market through an early-stage accelerator program and a curated matching program.

Explore the site to learn how you can get involved with our programs on the corporate, investor, startup, or individual levels.