NACC Designated National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education

NACC Designated National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education

Dr. David Campbell, President of Northeast Alabama Community College, is pleased to announce that the college has been designated as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education. The notification for this designation came in a letter recently from the National Security Administration and the Department of Homeland Security. The letter reads, in part, “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 Presidents’ National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace, February 2003, and the International Strategy for Cyberspace, May 2011, addresses the critical shortage of professionals with these skills and highlights the importance of higher education as a solution to defending America’s cyberspace. Like all nations, the United States has a compelling interest in defending its vital national assets, as well as our core principles and values, and we are committed to defending against those who would attempt to impede our ability to do so.”

The committee who worked on this project to secure this designation included Chair, Dr. Joe Burke, Vice President/Dean of Instruction; Haley Johnson, Business and Computer Science Division Director; Jay Massey and Julie Hester, Computer Science Instructors; Dr. Mike Kennamer, Director of Workforce Development; Patricia Combs, Director of Educational Technology; and Robert Griffin, Adjunct Computer Science Instructor.

The college offers two options for a short-term certificate in cybersecurity. The Computer Information Systems-Security option requires the completion of 10 semester hours in courses directly related to cybersecurity. This track is for persons who already have computer networking credentials. The Cybersecurity Technician option requires 25 semester hours which includes networking, software and hardware support, specific cybersecurity courses, and other related computer courses.

For more information about this program, please contact Jay Massey, Computer Science Instructor, at masseyj@nacc.edu or by calling college ext. 2310.

For additional college information, go to www.nacc.edu or download the free App at the Apple App Store or by going to www.naccmobile.com.