Niagara University celebrated its recent designation as a National Security Agency Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense with a reception on Feb. 11. This important recognition by the NSA and the Department of Homeland Security underscores the university’s commitment to advancing cybersecurity education and research, while developing the next generation of cybersecurity professionals to protect the United States’ critical national information infrastructure into the future.
The event was headlined by industry leader Tim Byrd, executive vice president and chief information security officer of M&T Bank and a member of the NYU Cyber Fellows Advisory Council at NYU Tandon. He spoke about the critical need for cybersecurity professionals and importance of this designation for the university, its students, and the Western New York community.
“There is prestige and recognition associated with being designated as a NSA Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense. The designation was established to help create a standards-based collaborative cybersecurity educational program to increase the number of cybersecurity professionals, which we need a lot more of today,” Byrd said, noting that only 250 programs nationwide meet this rigorous criteria, and even fewer offer master’s level programs. “Niagara University will make sure that we have the skilled cybersecurity professionals necessary to meet the challenge now and in the future.”
As a designated National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense, Niagara University will gain access to research funding, opportunities to collaborate with other CAE institutions, and the ability to influence national cybersecurity educational standards. The program of study validated by the NSA is Niagara University’s master of science degree program in information security and digital forensics. Students in this program will benefit from enhanced learning opportunities, including specialized courses, hands-on learning experiences, and access to state-of-the-art cybersecurity labs and research, in a curriculum that remains cutting edge. The program is offered 100% online, allowing flexibility to complete studies in one year.
“The core of a university’s life is academic excellence, and this NSA designation gives ample witness to academic excellence by creating a virtuous circle between curriculum, instruction, research, and impact in the real world,” said the Rev. James Maher, C.M., Niagara University president. “Our students will graduate with a commitment to excellence, cultivated through top-of-the-line instruction, with real-world experience, and with the benefit of engaging partners in law enforcement, in business, in education, and in the nonprofit sector. They will go forth into the workforce and drive economic, educational, and social development. They'll create real-world impact. And they'll make the community safer for all those around them.”
"This designation enhances our ability to attract top-tier students and faculty, and foster partnerships with industry and government agencies,” Dr. Petter Lovaas, Niagara University’s chief information security officer and chair of the Department of Cyber Security & Operations, added. “We are excited about the opportunities this recognition brings to our institution and the broader community."
For more information on Niagara University’s M.S. Information Security and Digital Forensics program, visit https://niagara.edu/programs/isdf/.