The brilliant blue lakes we've adopted as our nod to Oregon's unique character are looking more enticing than ever as we officially start summer. Though a slower season for OCCoE events, our teams wrap up impressive projects, continue to organize exciting fall plans, and coordinate efforts in the State to prepare Oregon more than ever for oncoming cyber threats. 

UO's NICE Project Wraps Up High School Visits, Campus Tours, Cyber Competitions, Curriculum Improvements, and Teacher Workshops

This year, the University of Oregon's Nurturing Inclusive Cybersecurity Education (NICE) Project team worked hard to promote and support equitable cybersecurity education in Oregon’s high schools and postsecondary institutions. The team conducted 13 high school visits serving 313 students, 9 high school campus tours with 202 students, a cyber competition with 29 students from 8 high schools, and 2 teacher workshops to 50 Oregon high school teachers.

Students at South Eugene High School participate in NICE's asynchronous cyber competition

The second teacher workshop wrapped up last week from June 22-26 with 26 of Oregon's Computer Science and STEM teachers in attendance. These teachers have now cultivated a strong professional community, supporting their often single-handed efforts to improve cybersecurity curriculum in their schools and inspire students toward careers in the field.  

The NICE project is also working on aligning community college curriculum with UO's cybersecurity major coursework, allowing for a more streamlined transition for students. Though the NICE project is wrapping up, the team created a mentorship pipeline for high schoolers with the Oregon ISC2 Chapter with 15 industry mentors already signed up! OCCoE is proud to celebrate UO's strong workforce development initiatives like the NICE Project and the ongoing industry mentorship program.  

OCCoE Hosted Cybersecurity Education for Tribes Symposium 6/24

The Cybersecurity Education for Tribes Symposium brought together 21 program participants to celebrate a two-year long project funded by the Higher Education Coordinating Commission to support the nine tribes federally recognized in Oregon with cybersecurity workforce development. Participants were joined by invited guests, Oregon Cybersecurity Center of Excellence staff, and state and federal agencies for a successful day dedicated to connection, learning, and celebration.

Panel of Graduates from Certificate for Building Tribal Cyber Resilience & Introduction to Cybersecurity Seminar 

The day included a welcome from Glendon Smith, Warm Springs Tribal Liaison for the Oregon State Police; an overview of the project outcomes; a program participant panel; a facilitated expert conversation in community; and information about free or low-cost resources.

The symposium also included speakers from the Tribal Information Sharing and Analysis (ISAC) network, Oregon Department of Emergency Management (OEM), the federal Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and the State of Oregon’s Enterprise Information Services / Cyber Security Services (EIS/CSS). Participants shared their experiences and offered unique perspectives on navigating digital threats to tribal sovereignty. This event helped to lay the foundation for partnerships and connections, resulting in actionable knowledge to enhance the cyber resilience of tribal organizations.

OCCoE to Host Table at Oregon City/County Management Association Summer Conference in Ashland 7/7-7/10

OCCoE Director will be attending the conference and hosting a table to share important cybersecurity resources and information with attendees to support their public leadership roles as City and County Managers in protecting their jurisdictions.

OCCMA exists to support professional local government management by increasing the knowledge and ability of administrators and managers; promote the exchange of information between the members; sustain the functions, principles and goals of the International City/County Management Association (ICMA). 

OEM Public Private Partnership Security and Resilience Seminar 7/9 

The Oregon Department of Emergency Management (OEM), in partnership with the Idaho Office of Emergency Management, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the state of Washington Emergency Management Division, and Albertsons Companies, has launched the 2026 Public Private Partnership Security and Resilience Seminar Series—a free virtual learning series designed to help organizations strengthen safety, continuity of operations, and emergency communications in an evolving risk environment.

Upcoming Seminar 7/9/26 - 10:00am: Strengthening Cyber Defense Against Insider Threats: Building a Culture of Digital Vigilance

REMINDER | Protect Your Organization: Take Advantage of the FREE Oregon State-Sponsored MS-ISAC Membership 

The Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center® (MS-ISAC®) is the nation’s trusted cybersecurity resource for U.S. State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial (SLTT) government organizations. Backed by the U.S.-based 24x7x365 CIS Security Operations Center, the MS-ISAC provides threat intelligence, monitoring, and expert support to help public sector entities defend against ever-evolving cyber threats.

Through statewide sponsorship, your organization receives MS‑ISAC membership at no cost, giving you access to powerful cybersecurity tools and services designed specifically for SLTT needs. An MS‑ISAC membership gives your organization enterprise‑grade cybersecurity capabilities, ensuring every local organization can benefit from shared defense, real‑time insights, and expert guidance.

For assistance with joining, contact info@cisecurity.org.

OCCoE Leadership as Program Chair for IEEE TEMS Global 2026 Conference in Montreal, CA 8/4-8/7

PSU's Dr. Tugrul Daim will serve as the Program Chair for the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers' international Technology and Engineering Management Society (TEMS) conference this year in Montreal, Canada.

TEMSCON Global is the flagship conference of the IEEE Technology and Engineering Management Society (TEMS) and is a premier venue for research on management, innovation, and leadership across the spectrum of technology, science, and engineering. The conference will convene researchers, managers, practitioners, educators, students, and policy makers to present and discuss new developments in the fields of interest of IEEE TEMS.