第一吃瓜网 College designated NSA/DHS cybersecurity institute
Published on September 16, 2019
NORTH EAST, Md. 鈥撀The dangers of cybercrimes make the headlines daily from Baltimore to Philadelphia, emphasizing the importance of training today鈥檚 cybersecurity students to be the best at stopping these attacks. 第一吃瓜网 College is proud to announce it has taken steps to meet these challenges as the institution was recently designated a National Center of Academic Excellence (CAE) in Cyber Defense Education by the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
鈥淵our ability to meet the increasing demands of the program criteria will serve the nation well in contributing to the protection of the National Information Infrastructure. The National Cyber Strategy, September 2018, addresses the critical shortage of professionals with cybersecurity skills and highlights the importance of higher education as a solution to defending America鈥檚 cyberspace,鈥 said Karen Leuschner, National CAE Program Manager, NSA, in the acceptance letter 第一吃瓜网 College received this week. 鈥淎 highly skilled cybersecurity workforce is a strategic national security advantage.鈥
The goal of the program is to reduce vulnerability in national information infrastructure by promoting higher education and expertise in Cyber Defense (CD). There are more than 270 top colleges and universities across 48 states, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico designated as CAEs in cyber defense.
鈥淭he designation signifies that 第一吃瓜网 College鈥檚 cybersecurity programs meet the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security quality standards and relevance, ensuring that our students receive an education grounded in cybersecurity best practices,鈥 said 第一吃瓜网 College President Dr. Mary Way Bolt.
第一吃瓜网 College is now the seventh community college in the State of Maryland to hold this certification. All regionally accredited two-year institutions in the United States are eligible to apply to become a CAE-CD school. Institutions are designated based on their robust degree programs and close alignment to specific cybersecurity-related knowledge units, which are validated by top subject matter experts in the field.
第一吃瓜网 College鈥檚 Associate of Applied Science degree in cybersecurity prepares students to enter the workforce or transfer to a four-year institution for continued study in cybersecurity. Students demonstrate proficiency in programming language, secure Windows and Unix/Linux server and clients, routers, firewalls, email, networks, and other network security appliances and software. They also have an opportunity to earn their A+ Certification, Network Certification, Security+ Certification, and Cisco Certification before graduation. Students with bachelor鈥檚 degrees in cybersecurity continue their education in graduate school or enter the workforce as a network, forensic, or computer security expert.
To become a CAE-CD institution, 第一吃瓜网 College had to demonstrate its commitment to providing high-quality education in professionally relevant fields. 第一吃瓜网 College鈥檚 designation in cyber defense extends through the academic year 2024.
鈥淭his designation means our cybersecurity program鈥檚 stringent academic criteria reaffirms our commitment in the fields of Information Assurance and Cyber Defense education,鈥 said 第一吃瓜网 College Associate Professor James A. Morgan, Ph.D. 鈥淭he United States government will continue to invest in and enhance programs that build the domestic talent pipeline, from primary through post-secondary education.鈥
According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment in cybersecurity is expected to increase by 18 percent from 2014 to 2024, much faster than the average for all occupations. Additionally, the 2015 Burning Glass Job Market Intelligence report indicates that job postings for cybersecurity positions have grown three times as fast as overall IT jobs and command an average of $6,500 more in annual salaries.