TAMPA, Fla. (Oct. 13, 2014) - The University of South Florida announces it has been granted the designation of a National Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance/ Cybersecurity by the National Security Agency (NSA) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
NSA recently revised its criteria to make it more difficult to receive the Center of Academic Excellence designation. This is the first time USF has earned the prestigious recognition. USF is only the second school in the nation to be classified for the first time under the new standards.
“I am very proud of our university for promoting a truly interdisciplinary approach to Cybersecurity education,” said USF Provost Ralph Wilcox. “This designation is the result of the collaborative work by our outstanding faculty and the great staff of the Florida Center for Cybersecurity at USF. Our students will greatly benefit to be a part of this university that is not only involved with cutting edge research and emerging technology, both of which are found in the studies related to cybersecurity, but also designated as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance/Cybersecurity.”
In the official award letter, the NSA’s National CAE Program Director, Karen Leuschner, wrote about USF: “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.”
The designation runs between the years 2014 and 2019.