The South Coast Cyber Center
Contact: Warren Parker, Chairman & Executive Director
warren@southcoastcyber.com
Beaufort, S.C. (March 10, 2023) – On Wednesday, March 24, the City of Beaufort and other regional organizations will conduct their first ever cybersecurity exercise. During this tabletop exercise, infrastructure stakeholders will meet to work out responses to cyber attacks and cyber threats.
The exercise will be facilitated by representatives from the South Carolina Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity, a key organization within the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, and the 125th Cyber Protection Battalion of the S.C. Army National Guard.
“This exercise will be groundbreaking for Beaufort,” said Mayor Stephen Murray. “It is the first time we have brought together the leadership of so many critical parts of our infrastructure to respond to simulated threats and attacks. If we were to be threatened by a cyber attack, this exercise will provide us with real life experience on how best to respond.”
Key leadership from the City of Beaufort; Beaufort County government including the Sheriff’s Office and Emergency Management; Beaufort Memorial Hospital; Beaufort and Port Royal Police and Fire Departments; and Beaufort Jasper Water & Sewer Authority will respond to increasingly more complex scenarios during the daylong exercise.
U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace is scheduled to observe the exercise in the afternoon.
Soldiers from the 125th Cyber Protection Battalion will help to mentor each group as they move through the day. Lt. Col. William ‘Mel’ Medlin, commanding officer of the battalion, said, “This is a great opportunity for us to work proactively with the community to prepare them in the event they are attacked. Beaufort is moving out smartly to do the right things in securing its infrastructure from the ‘bad guys’.”
The exercise will take place at the Beaufort Police Department training facility at its headquarters and is not open to the public. A media availability will be held from 3-3:30 p.m. that day.
The exercise was organized by the South Coast Cyber Center and the City of Beaufort. #####
About the South Coast Cyber Center: The South Coast Cyber Center is a nonprofit collaboration of local businesses, the University of South Carolina Beaufort, Technical College of the Lowcountry, the Beaufort Digital Corridor, and the Beaufort County Economic Development Corporation focused on cybersecurity education, workforce development, and the attraction and mentoring of cybersecurity businesses.