SAN ANGELO, Texas (Concho Valley Homepage) — The National Security Agency has designated Angelo State University as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (CAE-CD).

According to ASU, the university will retain the designation "at least through the 2029 academic year."

The designation is only granted to regionally accredited institutions that offer cybersecurity degrees and/or certificates. The first step toward this is to have at least one degree or certificate designated as an NSA Program of Study, something that ASU's Bachelor of Science in Computer Science degree earned in June.

"We are proud of the accomplishment that Angelo State has been officially designated as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense, recognizing our commitment to producing top-tier graduates in the field of computer science and cybersecurity," Dr. Erdogan Dogdu, chair of the Computer Science Department, said. "This distinction affirms the quality and rigor of our programs as we continue to equip students with the skills needed to excel in cybersecurity and emerging technologies."

The CAE-CD designation is earned as part of the National Centers of Academic Excellence program, which is designed to "promote and support quality academic programs of higher learning that help produce the nation's cyber workforce." In addition to the prerequisite of having a designated NSA Program of Study degree or certificate, institutions wishing to earn the CAE-CD designation "must also demonstrate that it engages in significant community involvement, academic activities and institutional practices in cybersecurity," including the following actions:

• Encouraging and supporting ethical behavior by students, faculty, administrators and professional staff.
• Enabling an environment in which students, faculty, administrators, professional staff and practitioners can share, interact and collaborate with others in the cybersecurity field.
• Demonstrating a commitment to address, engage and respond to current and emerging cybersecurity issues in the classroom, in the institution itself and outside the institution.

"This is a momentous achievement for Angelo State and our flourishing cybersecurity programs, and I congratulate all the faculty and staff who helped make it happen," ASU President Ronnie Hawkins Jr. said. "Earning the Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense designation puts us squarely in the national spotlight for cybersecurity higher education, which will enable us to recruit, educate and graduate an even larger number of future cybersecurity leaders."

In addition to the B.S. in computer science, The ASU Department of Computer Science offers a newer B.S. in cybersecurity, as well as a Master of Science in computer science with a cybersecurity concentration and a Certificate in Cybersecurity Technologies. Certificates in Cybersecurity and Cyber Crime Investigation are offered through the ASU Department of Security Studies and Criminal Justice.

News Source : https://www.conchovalleyhomepage.com/news/local-news/angelo-state-university/asu-earns-nsa-designation-for-cybersecurity-excellence/