Securing Our eCity Foundation (SOeC), the San Diego nonprofit devoted to cybersecurity awareness, education and preparation, has earned a prestigious award from the FBI for its community service and impact.
SOeC has been at the forefront of many innovative programs that are now mirrored across the country and provide fun and exciting cybersecurity educational activities for all ages. One of these programs includes the San Diego Mayor’s Cyber Cup —a cyberdefending challenge for middle and high school students and the followup on SOeC Cyber Boot Camp—which helped SOeC win the Director’s Community Leadership Award. The annual award recognizes outstanding community service and outreach in efforts to reduce crime, violence and terrorism in the U.S.
“(This year’s honorees) have done extraordinary good across communities in this country and have made a lasting difference,” said FBI Director James Comey. “Thank you for that good, thank you for what you represent, and thank you for inspiring not just the FBI but this entire country.”
Liz Fraumann, SOeC executive director, joined 55 other awardees from all 56 FBI Field Offices at the FBI’s Washington D.C. headquarters to accept the award from Director Comey on April 15.
“This is a huge honor,” said Fraumann, who was nominated for the award by an FBI agent. “When we started Securing Our eCity, there were very few organizations touching on cybersecurity awareness and education. This last year, we touched more than two million people through all of our programs and outreach efforts, including our events, workshops, media and presentations. Our goal is to help make San Diego a cyber safe environment where we can all live, work and play.”
SOeC’s programs range from free workshops and cybersafety tips for families to a twice-monthly internet radio show, eCity CyberTalk Radio.
The eCity CyberTalk Radio is designed to cover topics of interest and concern in cybersecurity, focused on the small and medium business owner/operator. Recent shows have included basic definitions of cybersecurity terms and a discussion on what to do if you have been breached. (Tune in the second and fourth Friday of each month at 11 a.m. PT on WsRadio.com, or find episodes at securingourecity.org/ecitycybertalk.)