Latest news with #BelliniCapital
Business Wire
15-07-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Inaugural CyberBay Summit to Spark the Next Digital Defense Movement
TAMPA, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--CyberBay2025, a high-impact summit uniting the nation's leading minds in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and national security, is launching in Tampa Bay this fall. The event will engage leaders in business, investment, education, and the military with a bold agenda focused on redefining the front lines of digital defense. CyberBay2025 is launching in Tampa Bay this fall to unite business, investment, education, and the military around a bold agenda focused on redefining the front lines of digital defense. Share Set for at the Tampa Marriott Water Street, the event is hosted by Cyber Florida, University of South Florida (USF), The USF Bellini College of AI, Cybersecurity and Computing, USF Institute for AI+X, and Bellini Capital. Registration is now open at 'Tampa Bay is the hub of America's cyber resilience. Established companies, startups, investors, educators, and the military are building a next-generation cybersecurity ecosystem that outpaces threats and serves as an economic engine for the country,' said Arnie Bellini, Managing Partner at Bellini Capital. 'CyberBay 2025 will ignite innovation and action from classrooms to corporations to command centers.' Content at the summit will mobilize a new era of cyber readiness capable of safeguarding infrastructure, protecting free enterprise, and defending digital borders. The agenda will focus on cybersecurity, AI+X, national security, the start-up/VC ecosystem, research and development, and education, talent recruitment, and retention. In addition, a cybersecurity Capture the Flag competition will feature rising talent, and an AI and Cyber Talent Showcase will bring graduating students and job seekers together with leaders from Tampa's tech industry. Current speakers include: Jen Easterly, former director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, combat veteran, cybersecurity pioneer General (Ret.) Frank McKenzie, Executive Director, Cyber Florida at USF and the Global and National Security Institute, USF Dr. Patrick McDaniel, Professor of Computer Sciences, University of Wisconsin–Madison Arnie Bellini, Tech Entrepreneur & Managing Partner, Bellini Capital Gayle Sheppard, Board of Directors, Nutanix Elisa Bertino, Samuel D. Conte Distinguished Professor of Computer Science, Purdue University Early bird ticket pricing is available until July 31, 2025. Sponsors for the event include ConnectSecure, ThreatLocker, and CyberFOX, among other Tampa institutions and cybersecurity organizations. For sponsorship information, please contact Andrew Morgan at andrew@ Journalists interested in attending should contact Jennifer Kleman, APR, CPRC, Cyber Outreach Manager at Jennifer437@ for a complimentary ticket. About The University of South Florida (USF) The University of South Florida is a top-ranked research university, serving approximately 50,000 students from across the globe at campuses in Tampa, St. Petersburg, Sarasota-Manatee and USF Health. USF is recognized by U.S. News & World Report as a top 50 public university and the best value in Florida. U.S. News also ranks the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine as the No. 1 medical school in Florida and in the highest tier nationwide. USF is a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU), a group that includes only the top 3% of universities in the U.S. With an all-time high of $738 million in research funding in 2024 and as a top 20 public university for producing U.S. patents, USF uses innovation to transform lives and shape a better future. The university generates an annual economic impact of more than $6 billion. USF's Division I athletics teams compete in the American Athletic Conference. Learn more at The Bellini College of AI, Cybersecurity and Computing at the University of South Florida is the first named college for AI, cybersecurity, and computing, dedicated to advancing education, research and ethical innovation. The College is designed to foster interdisciplinary innovation and technology development through strong industry and government partnerships, serving as a critical talent center for CyberBay and the cybersecurity sector as a whole. About Cyber Florida at USF The Florida Center for Cybersecurity at the University of South Florida, commonly referred to as Cyber Florida at USF, was established by the Florida Legislature in 2014. Its mission is to position Florida as a national leader in cybersecurity through comprehensive education, cutting-edge research, and extensive outreach. Cyber Florida leads various initiatives to inspire and educate current and future cybersecurity professionals, advance applied research, and enhance cybersecurity awareness and safety of individuals and organizations. The USF Institute for Artificial Intelligence (AI+X) is a university-wide research and education center for Artificial Intelligence. It conducts externally-funded research in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and associated areas (X = Healthcare, Medicine, Biology, Cybersecurity, Finance, Business, Manufacturing, Transportation), using a transdisciplinary approach across Neuroscience, Cognitive Science, and Computer Science, and work with industry to transition them into products that benefit humanity in an ethical and responsible manner. About Bellini Capital Deploying capital through a blend of seed investment and philanthropy, Bellini Capital is seeking to create an unbreakable ecosystem of cybersecurity innovation, talent development, and ecological stewardship. The firm was founded by technology entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist, Arnie Bellini, and is based in Tampa, Florida (a.k.a. CyberBay).
Associated Press
27-06-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Saint Leo University Receives Significant Gift from Tampa Tech Icon, Arnie Bellini
Saint Leo, Fla., June 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Saint Leo University has received a transformative $1.5 million donation from Tampa-based tech visionary and philanthropist Arnie Bellini, founder of ConnectWise and CEO of Bellini Capital. The gift builds on an initial $500,000 contribution made in 2024, with a recent additional $1 million investment. This impactful support will significantly expand the university's reach in cybersecurity education, fueling initiatives designed to close workforce gaps and prepare students for high-demand careers. The donation will establish The Bellini Family Endowed Scholarship, the university's first dedicated cybersecurity scholarship, supporting students pursuing degrees in cybersecurity or demonstrating a strong passion for the field. It will also advance several strategic initiatives, including Saint Leo's first partnership with industry experts to create a new model for comprehensive, innovative cybersecurity training, with programming planned to begin in 2025. 'The cybersecurity threat is real, constant, and growing, and CyberBay is already a magnet for talent and innovation to address the need,' said Arnie Bellini. 'Right here in the Tampa Bay region, the demand for skilled cyber professionals is immediate and urgent—and the jobs are high-paying and high-impact. Saint Leo has proven itself as a powerhouse in cyber education, and this investment will amplify their impact and accelerate the pipeline of talent.' According to industry research, the global cybersecurity workforce gap surpassed 4 million jobs in 2023, including more than 500,000 vacancies in the United States. Florida ranks among the top five states in demand for cybersecurity professionals. The new training program will provide an expedited, flexible way for working adults to gain foundational cybersecurity skills. This revolutionary approach to cybersecurity education creates standardized training modules for industry wide adoption. Offered entirely online and self-paced, the program is designed to serve as a talent pipeline for employers across Tampa Bay and beyond, helping individuals transition into critical tech roles faster. 'Arnie Bellini's generosity accelerates our mission to educate ethical tech leaders and bridge the gap between academic learning and real-world application,' said Steve Carroll, chief information officer at Saint Leo University. 'This gift will impact Tampa Bay's workforce for generations to come.' Saint Leo University has earned national recognition for its cybersecurity program and is designated a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education by the NSA and U.S. Department of Homeland Security. In 2023, the university established the College of Computing, Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, and Data Science to meet the rising demand for high-quality education in the tech sector. More than 500 students are currently pursuing cybersecurity degrees at Saint Leo. ### ABOUT SAINT LEO UNIVERSITY Saint Leo University is a Catholic Benedictine university dedicated to helping learners of all backgrounds and ages gain the competence and courage to be more. Offering more than 55-degree programs to more than 13,000 students each year, the nonprofit university is known for providing a values-based education in the liberal arts tradition and a community of belonging for those who seek a greater purpose in life. Saint Leo is regionally accredited and offers a campus in the Tampa Bay area of Florida, regional education centers, and several online programs. The university is home to more than 106,000 alumni. Learn more at or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn. Rosali Salazar Vistra Communications [email protected]
Fast Company
25-06-2025
- Business
- Fast Company
U.S. strikes on Iran's nuclear program have unleashed cyberattacks on American banks and the oil industry
Hackers backing Tehran have targeted U.S. banks, defense contractors and oil industry companies following American strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities — but so far have not caused widespread disruptions to critical infrastructure or the economy. But that could change if the ceasefire between Iran and Israel collapses or if independent hacking groups supporting Iran make good on promises to wage their own digital conflict against the U.S., analysts and cyber experts say. The U.S. strikes could even prompt Iran, Russia, China and North Korea to double down on investments in cyberwarfare, according to Arnie Bellini, a tech entrepreneur and investor. Bellini noted that hacking operations are much cheaper than bullets, planes or nuclear arms — what defense analysts call kinetic warfare. America may be militarily dominant, he said, but its reliance on digital technology poses a vulnerability. 'We just showed the world: You don't want to mess with us kinetically,' said Bellini, CEO of Bellini Capital. 'But we are wide open digitally. We are like Swiss cheese.' Hackers have hit banks and defense contractors Two pro-Palestinian hacking groups claimed they targeted more than a dozen aviation firms, banks and oil companies following the U.S. strikes over the weekend. The hackers detailed their work in a post on the Telegram messaging service and urged other hackers to follow their lead, according to researchers at the SITE Intelligence Group, which tracks the groups' activity. The attacks were denial-of-service attacks, in which a hacker tries to disrupt a website or online network. 'We increase attacks from today,' one of the hacker groups, known as Mysterious Team, posted Monday. Federal authorities say they are on guard for additional attempts by hackers to penetrate U.S. networks. The Department of Homeland Security issued a public bulletin Sunday warning of increased Iranian cyber threats. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency issued a statement Tuesday urging organizations that operate critical infrastructure like water systems, pipelines or power plants to stay vigilant. While it lacks the technical abilities of China or Russia, Iran has long been known as a 'chaos agent' when it comes to using cyberattacks to steal secrets, score political points or frighten opponents. Cyberattacks mounted by Iran's government may end if the ceasefire holds and Tehran looks to avoid another confrontation with the U.S. But hacker groups could still retaliate on Iran's behalf. In some cases, these groups have ties to military or intelligence agencies. In other cases, they act entirely independently. More than 60 such groups have been identified by researchers at the security firm Trustwave. These hackers can inflict significant economic and psychological blows. Following Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, for instance, hackers penetrated an emergency alert app used by some Israelis and directed it to inform users that a nuclear missile was incoming. 'It causes an immediate psychological impact,' said Ziv Mador, vice president of security research at Trustwave's SpiderLabs, which tracks cyberthreats. Economic disruption, confusion and fear are all the goals of such operations, said Mador, who is based in Israel. 'We saw the same thing in Russia-Ukraine.' Collecting intelligence is another aim for hackers While Iran lacks the cyberwarfare capabilities of China or Russia, it has repeatedly tried to use its more modest operations to try to spy on foreign leaders — something national security experts predict Tehran is almost certain to try again as it seeks to suss out President Donald Trump's next moves. Last year, federal authorities charged three Iranian operatives with trying to hack Trump's presidential campaign. It would be wrong to assume Iran has given up those efforts, according to Jake Williams, a former National Security Agency cybersecurity expert who is now vice president of research and development at Hunter Strategy, a Washington-based cybersecurity firm. 'It's fairly certain that these limited resources are being used for intelligence collection to understand what Israel or the U.S. might be planning next, rather than performing destructive attacks against U.S. commercial organizations,' Williams said. The Trump administration has cut cybersecurity programs and staff Calls to bolster America's digital defense come as the Trump administration has moved to slash some cybersecurity programs as part of its effort to shrink the size of government. CISA has placed staffers who worked on election security on leave and cut millions of dollars in funding for cybersecurity programs for local and state elections. The CIA, NSA and other intelligence agencies also have seen reductions in staffing. Trump abruptly fired Gen. Timothy Haugh, who oversaw the NSA and the Pentagon's Cyber Command. The Israel-Iran conflict shows the value of investments in cybersecurity and cyber offense, Mador said. He said Israel's strikes on Iran, which included attacks on nuclear scientists, required sophisticated cyberespionage that allowed Israel to track its targets. Expanding America's cyber defenses will require investments in education as well as technical fixes to ensure connected devices or networks aren't vulnerable, said Bellini, who recently contributed $40 million toward a new cybersecurity center at the University of South Florida. There is a new arms race when it comes to cyberwar, Bellini said, and it's a contest America can't afford to lose. 'It's Wile E. Coyote vs. the Road Runner,' Bellini said. 'It will go back and forth, and it will never end.'
The Hindu
25-06-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Iranian-backed hackers go to work after U.S. strikes
Hackers backing Tehran have targeted U.S. banks, defence contractors and oil industry companies following American strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities — but so far have not caused widespread disruptions to critical infrastructure or the economy. But that could change if the ceasefire between Iran and Israel collapses or if independent hacking groups supporting Iran make good on promises to wage their own digital conflict against the US, analysts and cyber experts say. The U.S. strikes could even prompt Iran, Russia, China and North Korea to double down on investments in cyberwarfare, according to Arnie Bellini, a tech entrepreneur and investor. Mr. Bellini noted that hacking operations are much cheaper than bullets, planes or nuclear arms — what defence analysts call kinetic warfare. America may be militarily dominant, he said, but its reliance on digital technology poses a vulnerability. 'We just showed the world: You don't want to mess with us kinetically,' said Mr. Bellini, CEO of Bellini Capital. 'But we are wide open digitally. We are like Swiss cheese." Hackers hit banks and defence contractors Two pro-Palestinian hacking groups claimed they targeted more than a dozen aviation firms, banks and oil companies following the U.S. strikes over the weekend. The hackers detailed their work in a post on the Telegram messaging service and urged other hackers to follow their lead, according to researchers at the SITE Intelligence Group, which tracks the groups' activity. Nuclear spectre: The Hindu editorial on the risk of an era of nuclear brinkmanship The attacks were denial-of-service attacks, in which a hacker tries to disrupt a website or online network. 'We increase attacks from today,' one of the hacker groups, known as Mysterious Team, posted Monday. Federal authorities say they are on guard for additional attempts by hackers to penetrate U.S. networks. 'Chaos agent' The Department of Homeland Security issued a public bulletin on Sunday (June 22, 2025) warning of increased Iranian cyber threats. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency issued a statement on Tuesday (June 24, 2025)urging organisations that operate critical infrastructure like water systems, pipelines or power plants to stay vigilant. While it lacks the technical abilities of China or Russia, Iran has long been known as a 'chaos agent' when it comes to using cyberattacks to steal secrets, score political points or frighten opponents. Cyberattacks mounted by Iran's government may end if the ceasefire holds and Tehran looks to avoid another confrontation with the U.S. But hacker groups could still retaliate on Iran's behalf. In some cases, these groups have ties to military or intelligence agencies. In other cases, they act entirely independently. More than 60 such groups have been identified by researchers at the security firm Trustwave. These hackers can inflict significant economic and psychological blows. Following Hamas' October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, for instance, hackers penetrated an emergency alert app used by some Israelis and directed it to inform users that a nuclear missile was incoming. 'It causes an immediate psychological impact," said Ziv Mador, vice president of security research at Trustwave's SpiderLabs, which tracks cyberthreats. Economic disruption, confusion and fear are all the goals of such operations, said Mador, who is based in Israel. 'We saw the same thing in Russia-Ukraine.' Collecting intelligence another aim for hackers While Iran lacks the cyberwarfare capabilities of China or Russia, it has repeatedly tried to use its more modest operations to try to spy on foreign leaders — something national security experts predict Tehran is almost certain to try again as it seeks to suss out President Donald Trump's next moves. Last year, federal authorities charged three Iranian operatives with trying to hack Trump's presidential campaign. It would be wrong to assume Iran has given up those efforts, according to Jake Williams, a former National Security Agency cybersecurity expert who is now vice president of research and development at Hunter Strategy, a Washington-based cybersecurity firm. 'It's fairly certain that these limited resources are being used for intelligence collection to understand what Israel or the US might be planning next, rather than performing destructive attacks against U.S. commercial organisations,' Mr. Williams said. Trump administration has cut cybersecurity programmes and staff Calls to bolster America's digital defence come as the Trump administration has moved to slash some cybersecurity programmes as part of its effort to shrink the size of government. CISA has placed staffers who worked on election security on leave and cut millions of dollars in funding for cybersecurity programs for local and state elections. The CIA, NSA and other intelligence agencies also have seen reductions in staffing. Trump abruptly fired Gen. Timothy Haugh, who oversaw the NSA and the Pentagon's Cyber Command. The Israel-Iran conflict shows the value of investments in cybersecurity and cyber offence, Mr. Mador said. He said Israel's strikes on Iran, which included attacks on nuclear scientists, required sophisticated cyberespionage that allowed Israel to track its targets. Expanding America's cyber defences will require investments in education as well as technical fixes to ensure connected devices or networks aren't vulnerable, said Bellini, who recently contributed $40 million toward a new cybersecurity centre at the University of South Florida. There is a new arms race when it comes to cyberwar, Bellini said, and it's a contest America can't afford to lose. 'It's Wile E. Coyote vs. the Road Runner,' Bellini said. 'It will go back and forth, and it will never end.'
25-06-2025
- Business
Iranian-backed hackers go to work after US strikes
WASHINGTON -- Hackers backing Tehran have targeted U.S. banks, defense contractors and oil industry companies following American strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities — but so far have not caused widespread disruptions to critical infrastructure or the economy. But that could change if the ceasefire between Iran and Israel collapses or if independent hacking groups supporting Iran make good on promises to wage their own digital conflict against the U.S., analysts and cyber experts say. The U.S. strikes could even prompt Iran, Russia, China and North Korea to double down on investments in cyberwarfare, according to Arnie Bellini, a tech entrepreneur and investor. Bellini noted that hacking operations are much cheaper than bullets, planes or nuclear arms — what defense analysts call kinetic warfare. America may be militarily dominant, he said, but its reliance on digital technology poses a vulnerability. 'We just showed the world: You don't want to mess with us kinetically,' said Bellini, CEO of Bellini Capital. 'But we are wide open digitally. We are like Swiss cheese." Two pro-Palestinian hacking groups claimed they targeted more than a dozen aviation firms, banks and oil companies following the U.S. strikes over the weekend. The hackers detailed their work in a post on the Telegram messaging service and urged other hackers to follow their lead, according to researchers at the SITE Intelligence Group, which tracks the groups' activity. The attacks were denial-of-service attacks, in which a hacker tries to disrupt a website or online network. 'We increase attacks from today,' one of the hacker groups, known as Mysterious Team, posted Monday. Federal authorities say they are on guard for additional attempts by hackers to penetrate U.S. networks. The Department of Homeland Security issued a public bulletin Sunday warning of increased Iranian cyber threats. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency issued a statement Tuesday urging organizations that operate critical infrastructure like water systems, pipelines or power plants to stay vigilant. While it lacks the technical abilities of China or Russia, Iran has long been known as a 'chaos agent' when it comes to using cyberattacks to steal secrets, score political points or frighten opponents. Cyberattacks mounted by Iran's government may end if the ceasefire holds and Tehran looks to avoid another confrontation with the U.S. But hacker groups could still retaliate on Iran's behalf. In some cases, these groups have ties to military or intelligence agencies. In other cases, they act entirely independently. More than 60 such groups have been identified by researchers at the security firm Trustwave. These hackers can inflict significant economic and psychological blows. Following Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, for instance, hackers penetrated an emergency alert app used by some Israelis and directed it to inform users that a nuclear missile was incoming. 'It causes an immediate psychological impact," said Ziv Mador, vice president of security research at Trustwave's SpiderLabs, which tracks cyberthreats. Economic disruption, confusion and fear are all the goals of such operations, said Mador, who is based in Israel. 'We saw the same thing in Russia-Ukraine.' While Iran lacks the cyberwarfare capabilities of China or Russia, it has repeatedly tried to use its more modest operations to try to spy on foreign leaders — something national security experts predict Tehran is almost certain to try again as it seeks to suss out President Donald Trump's next moves. Last year, federal authorities charged three Iranian operatives with trying to hack Trump's presidential campaign. It would be wrong to assume Iran has given up those efforts, according to Jake Williams, a former National Security Agency cybersecurity expert who is now vice president of research and development at Hunter Strategy, a Washington-based cybersecurity firm. 'It's fairly certain that these limited resources are being used for intelligence collection to understand what Israel or the U.S. might be planning next, rather than performing destructive attacks against U.S. commercial organizations,' Williams said. Calls to bolster America's digital defense come as the Trump administration has moved to slash some cybersecurity programs as part of its effort to shrink the size of government. CISA has placed staffers who worked on election security on leave and cut millions of dollars in funding for cybersecurity programs for local and state elections. The CIA, NSA and other intelligence agencies also have seen reductions in staffing. Trump abruptly fired Gen. Timothy Haugh, who oversaw the NSA and the Pentagon's Cyber Command. The Israel-Iran conflict shows the value of investments in cybersecurity and cyber offense, Mador said. He said Israel's strikes on Iran, which included attacks on nuclear scientists, required sophisticated cyberespionage that allowed Israel to track its targets. Expanding America's cyber defenses will require investments in education as well as technical fixes to ensure connected devices or networks aren't vulnerable, said Bellini, who recently contributed $40 million toward a new cybersecurity center at the University of South Florida. There is a new arms race when it comes to cyberwar, Bellini said, and it's a contest America can't afford to lose. 'It's Wile E. Coyote vs. the Road Runner,' Bellini said. "It will go back and forth, and it will never end.'
