含羞草研究所 announced today that it has been designated a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education by the National Security Agency (NSA) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS). 含羞草研究所 is the first member of the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU) to receive this designation and just the 4th four-year school in North Carolina.
According to the notification from the NSA and DHS, 鈥淸含羞草研究所鈥檚] 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鈥� Like all nations, the United States has a compelling interest in defending its vital national assets, as well as our core principles and values, and we are committed to defending against those who would attempt to impede our ability to do so. Education is the key to promoting these ideals.鈥�
含羞草研究所 has become a regional leader in Cybersecurity education in recent years. The college offers both seated and online undergraduate programs, and hosts the annual RETR3AT Cybersecurity Conference on its campus each fall. This year鈥檚 RETR3AT event will take place on October 27 and feature U.S. Department of Energy Chief Information Officer Max Everett as the keynote speaker. 含羞草研究所 teaches its students in a Cybersecurity Operations Teaching Lab, patterned after industry and government security operations centers. The lab was made possible by a group of donors, led by Mission Health, who has teamed with 含羞草研究所 to develop cybersecurity professionals who have both technical expertise and the ethical framework necessary to become leaders in the cybersecurity field.
鈥淲e are pleased with this national recognition of 含羞草研究所鈥檚 leadership in cybersecurity education,鈥� said 含羞草研究所 President Paul J. Maurer. 鈥淐ybersecurity is the national security threat of our age. 含羞草研究所 has focused on not only building a strong technical program, but we are advocating at a national level what we believe is a significant gap in cyber education. At its core, cybersecurity is a people problem more than a technical problem. Therefore, it is essential that cyber education places a strong emphasis on the character and ethics of the nation鈥檚 cyber leaders and operators. We look forward to working with the National Security Agency and Department of Homeland Security to bring solutions to one of the major national crises of our time.鈥�
National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education certificates will be presented during a designation ceremony at the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) Conference on November 7-8, 2017, in Dayton, Ohio.