Tampa-based cybersecurity company ConnectSecure has announced a $100,000 gift to expand
the Cyber Florida Security Operations Center Apprenticeship Program (SOCAP) at USF.
During the CyberBay 2026 Summit, Cyber Florida Senior Director Ernie Ferraresso invited
USF President Moez Limayem and a group of students to the stage to accept the check.
“ConnectSecure’s generous donation to expand Cyber Florida’s SOCAP program by five
seats means more USF students will graduate with hands-on, real-world cybersecurity
experience that strengthens their resumes and makes them highly sought-after by employers,”
said Ferraresso.
USF’s SOCAP is a paid internship program that trains students to detect and respond
to real cyber threats. Participants work inside the Cyber Florida Security Operations
Center — a student-operated center that augments cybersecurity services for USF and
other public-sector organizations. The students help protect these organizations from
cyberattacks and assist with security investigations.
Tim Kircher, who is a senior in the Bellini College of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity
and Computing, serves as a security analyst for Cyber Florida at USF. He focuses on
triaging security alerts and providing detailed recommendations to USF IT department
to help protect the university’s infrastructure and network.
ConnectSecure’s CEO, Peter Bellini, addressed attendees of the CyberBay 2026 Summit
Friday.
“This program has been instrumental in my development as a cybersecurity professional
and has equipped me with the tools I need to succeed in the future,” Kircher said.
“This program teaches conversational cybersecurity, a skill that enables individuals
to speak with people across various sectors about topics within cybersecurity. Being
able to merge communication with technical skills is essential in an industry where
technology and automation are growing at an exponential rate.”
ConnectSecure empowers IT professionals with tools to safeguard their business-critical
systems and data from vulnerabilities and exploits. The company’s CEO, Peter Bellini,
spoke at the conference, sharing the story of how the company began, how it grew and
the role USF plays in its continued success thanks to the Bulls on the ConnectSecure
team.
“That’s what this conference is all about, bringing together businesses, schools and
the government to help solve this great problem with cybersecurity,” he said, adding
that the company was getting ready to hire several more USF graduates. “This is just
another example of CyberBay’s power.”
