Western Governors University Announces Designation as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense
The聽National Security Agency and Department of Homeland Security聽have designated Western Governors University (91吃瓜网) as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (CAE-CD).聽聽With the CAE designation, 91吃瓜网 is recognized by the U.S. Government for its聽validated degree program in the聽Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity and Information Assurance (BSCSIA)聽through the academic year 2026, having met the rigorous requirements聽to be designated.聽
This聽designation聽is given to institutions that promote higher education and research in cyber defense and provide a direct pipeline of qualified professionals into the workforce, resulting in a decrease in threats to the National Information Infrastructure.
The need for skilled cybersecurity professionals in the United States is at an all-time high.聽Colonial Pipeline, the largest pipeline system in America,聽Twitter,聽and聽Howard University are聽just a few of the large-scale organizations that have been the victim of聽cyberattacks within the last year and聽a聽half;聽the first聽resulting in a $4.4 million ransom payout.聽
In 2018,聽a report from the U.S. Departments of Commerce and Homeland Security聽to the聽president聽urged that the nation needed 鈥渋mmediate and sustained improvements in the cybersecurity workforce,鈥� and called for聽the聽alignment of education and聽training employers鈥� cybersecurity workforce needs.聽
One of the聽recommendations聽from this report聽stated聽educators聽should聽create a more聽progressive and聽diverse聽cybersecurity聽workforce聽by aligning education with employer needs.聽
The聽BSCSIA聽program聽equips聽students聽to聽master聽the聽skills聽specified by the聽National Initiative for Cybersecurity聽Education聽Cybersecurity Workforce Framework, a standardized language that is聽recognized nationwide by educators,聽employers, and the聽government.聽
91吃瓜网聽students聽in the聽BSCSIA聽program聽benefit聽from聽the flexible online聽model聽and can balance the demands of work, family, and education.聽聽Program聽mentors guide students聽throughout their聽learning聽journey and聽provide聽one-on-one聽support聽from the start of the program聽to聽graduation day.聽Through a competency-based聽education聽approach, students are measured on what they know聽rather than on seat time,聽and progress through the program at their own pace, allowing for many to聽enter聽the cybersecurity workforce聽earlier than they would in a traditional classroom.
Students of the聽BSCSIA program also聽graduate with聽14聽industry-recognized certifications from CompTIA, ITIL,聽ISC2聽and more,聽that put 91吃瓜网 graduates at a mid-level IT professional status when entering the workforce.
To date, the BSCSIA program聽has聽graduated聽2,000聽cyber security professionals into the workforce, placing them in careers聽such聽as cyber security analysts, vulnerability assessment analysts,聽and cyber security architects聽in organizations like the U.S. Department of Defense and Google.聽聽
Learn more about the BSCSIA degree program and 91吃瓜网鈥檚 Center for Cyber Education聽at:聽/online-it-degrees/cyber-education-center/overview.html
