The Center for Information Assurance and Security Education (CIASE) in Illinois State University’s School of Information Technology has once again been designated as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education. The designation from the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security covers academic years 2014 through 2020.
The honor places Illinois State among the leading institutions in the United States for information assurance and cyber security education and provides students with opportunities for federal scholarships in those areas of study. Illinois State’s CIASE is committed to furthering information assurance education at Illinois State, the state of Illinois, and nationwide. Illinois State first received the National Center of Academic Excellence designation in 2009.
“Information security has become a crucial part of our lives at the national, corporate, and security levels,” said Doug Twitchell, associate professor in the School of Information Technology and director of CIASE. “This designation shows that Illinois State continues to excel in educating the next generation of leaders in this field.”
The National Center of Academic Excellence designation program promotes higher education in information assurance and cyber defense and prepares professionals to meet the growing security needs of the nation’s information networks. The National Security Agency started the program in 1998, with the Department of Homeland Security joining as a partner in 2004 in response to the President’s National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace.
