NYIT Designated as National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education

The National Security Agency (NSA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have designated NYIT as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education (CAE-CDE) through academic year 2021. NYIT is the first university on Long Island to receive this designation, and one of only eight in New York State.

DHS and NSA jointly sponsor the National Centers of Academic Excellence (CAE) program. Schools are designated based on their robust degree programs and close alignment to specific cybersecurity-related knowledge units, validated by subject matter experts in the field. CAE graduates help protect national security information systems, commercial networks, and critical information infrastructure in the private and public sectors.

“Universities play a vital role in the campaign to stop cyber crime by educating the next wave of professionals through the development of cutting-edge curricula, creating knowledge, framing debates, and contributing to solutions about pressing issues facing our world,” said NYIT President Edward Guiliano, Ph.D.

“Your 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,” noted Karen Leuschner, National CAE Program Manager, NSA, in a letter to NYIT about the designation. “The President’s National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace addresses the critical shortage of professionals with these skills and highlights the importance of higher education as a solution to defending America’s cyberspace,” she added.

“This is a well-deserved honor for NYIT and will go a long way in advancing cybersecurity education in New York,” said Congressman Steve Israel (D-NY). “This designation will make the region more competitive for federal research grants and attract talented students who can build their cybersecurity careers on Long Island. I am proud to have partnered with NYIT and am thrilled that Long Island is one step closer to becoming a national hub for cyber defense.”

“The designation of NYIT as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education is an important step forward in its plans to establish a Cyber Defense Research Facility in Bethpage,” said Nassau County Executive Edward P. Mangano. “Cybersecurity is a national concern, and this designation will allow NYIT students and faculty to work on government-sanctioned projects to protect our national security. Nassau County residents put a man on the moon, built our national defense assets, and this rich history will live on through NYIT's cyber defense education and future research facility."

NYIT has been advancing the field of cybersecurity for the past 10 years with undergraduate and graduate cybersecurity-focused degree offerings and its established record of fostering technological innovation and promoting partnerships among industry leaders, academia, and government.

“This prestigious designation is further evidence of our focus on and leadership in cybersecurity. It will help NYIT faculty vie for an even greater number of research grants and help NYIT students to secure government and private sector scholarships and careers in cyber defense,” said Nada Marie Anid, Ph.D., dean, NYIT School of Engineering and Computing Sciences.

Learn more about academic programs offered by the School of Engineering and Computing Sciences.