NYC looks to improve cybersecurity, broadband
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New York City is looking for partners on its new plan to make the city a global capital for all things cybersecurity.
New York City is looking for partners on its new plan to make the city a global capital for all things cybersecurity.
The Cyber NYC request for proposal released Nov. 16 by the New York City Economic Development Corporation is looking for vendors to design, launch and manage three work streams: a Cyber Center, talent partnerships and academic information exchanges.
The Cyber Center is meant to be the hub for fostering the growth of the cybersecurity industry in the city. It will hold programs and events for the cyber community and house an accelerator to help get startups off the ground.
To improve the talent pipeline, the Applied Learning Initiative will create educational opportunities across the city’s universities and schools and offer students experienced-based programs to prepare them for cybersecurity jobs. A boot camp will provide skills and experiences to individuals who may not traditionally seek opportunities in cybersecurity.
Academic Innovation Exchanges will work toward commercialization of cybersecurity research and development from New York City-based universities. The program's Cyber IP Link will connect university researchers with private-sector entrepreneurs to bring commercialization-ready intellectual property to market. The Cyber Innovation Bridge will give university-led startups access to entrepreneurship training and early-stage funding.
NYC Council Member Daniel Dromm said that this investment will help make the city safer as the threat of cyberattacks grows more serious.
“The city is obliged to safeguard the sensitive information it collects each day,” Dromm said. “This investment will ensure that NYC has access to the top talent necessary to do just that.”
As New York City looks to improve its cyber ecosystem, it is also wants to expand high-speed broadband access. A Nov. 14 request for information seeks input on technology and partnership approaches the city can use to expand gigabit broadband to every resident and business by 2025.
Officials said it is "open to creative solutions that will maximize public benefit and private investment, and provide reliable, high-quality services to meet community needs," and responses should also describe how solutions can inexpensively scale to accommodate increasing bandwidth demands.
One of the current deployed broadband solutions is the LinkNYC project that calls for 7,500 kiosks that offer free high-speed Wi-Fi, the gigabit internet infrastructure connecting them national VOIP calling and USB charging -- all at no cost to the city. The project is managed by CityBridge, a consortium of private companies that plans to finance the initiative by advertising.
The information gleaned from the RFI responses will be used to shape the direction of the city's universal broadband implementation plans, including a forthcoming requests for proposals.
NEXT STORY: How New Jersey fills the cyber info gap