U.S. Department of Homeland Security and National Security Agency Elevate Centers of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education Program to National Level

Release Date: 04/22/04 00:00:00

Partnership Sponsors Higher Education to Enhance America's Workforce Cyber Security Skills

For Immediate Release
Press Office
Contact: Donald Tighe 202-282-8010, donald.tighe@dhs.gov
April 22, 2004

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the National Security Agency (NSA), a Department of Defense Agency, today announced an agreement to expand the NSA Centers of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education to the national level, renaming the program the National Centers of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education. The partnership will strengthen information assurance higher education programs to meet America's growing requirements for professional cyber security skills.

Established in May of 1998, the NSA Centers of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education program is a successful education and outreach initiative that has designated 50 universities in 26 states as Centers of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education to date. Universities designated as Centers are eligible to apply for scholarships and grants through both the Federal and Department of Defense Information Assurance Scholarship Programs.

Priority III of the President's National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace directs the Federal government to both foster training and education programs to support the nation's cyber security needs, as well as to increase the efficiency of existing Federal cyber security programs. The DHS/NSA agreement directly responds to these tasks by amplifying an existing, successful program and enhancing cooperation between the agencies.

"The President's National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace highlights the need to develop a corps of information assurance professionals to protect government agencies and corporate America against increasingly sophisticated cyber threats," said Amit Yoran, director, National Cyber Security Division, Department of Homeland Security. "Our goal is to designate at least one university from all 50 states. This will enable critical institutional support for cyber security expertise to state and local governments as well as to corporate America."

Upcoming events include an annual meeting of the Centers during June 2004 in conjunction with the annual conference of the Colloquium for Information Systems Security Education (www.ncisse.org). The Colloquium Conference is the forum each year for a ceremony honoring new and re-designated Centers.

About the National Cyber Security Division

The National Cyber Security Division (NCSD) is part of the Information Analysis and Infrastructure Protection Directorate of the Department of Homeland Security. NCSD is charged with coordinating the implementation of the National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace and serves as the single National point of contact for the public and private sector regarding cyber security issues. NCSD is also charged with identifying, analyzing, and reducing cyber threats and vulnerabilities; disseminating threat warning information; coordinating incident response; and providing technical assistance in continuity of operations and recovery planning. NCSD's US-CERT serves as a focal point -- bridging public and private sector institutions -- to advance computer security preparedness and response. For more information visit www.us-cert.gov.

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This page was last reviewed/modified on 04/22/04 00:00:00.