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The National Security Agency (NSA) and its affiliated federal agencies support educational programs designed to establish higher education in the fields of cybersecurity throughout the country. The NSA designates certain educational institutions in the field of cybersecurity as National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity (NCAE-C) - Cyber Defense (CD).
The CAE-CD designated programs must have passed stringent requirements and reviews as well as demonstrated their commitment to academic excellence in the cybersecurity field. The goal of the NCAE-CD designation program is to increase the number of well trained and skilled professionals with higher education in the field of cybersecurity with an overall goal to protect the information infrastructure of the United States.
Additionally, NSA designates selected DoD schools, PhD producing military academies, or regionally accredited, degree granting four-year institutions rated by the Carnegie Foundation Basic Classification system as either a Doctoral University - Highest Research Activity, Doctoral University - Higher Research Activity, or Doctoral University - Moderate Research Activity that demonstrates rigorous engagement in cybersecurity research as National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity (NCAE-C) - Cyber Research (R).
Nova Southeastern University (NSU) is among the very few academic institutions in the nation that holds both the CAE-CD and CAE-R designation from the NSA.
NSU Received the Designation as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity - Cyber Defense
NSU first received this designation in March 2005 amongst the first in the State of Florida. On August 19, 2021, the NSA and its affiliated federal agencies have re-designated NSU as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity (NCAE-C) - Cyber Defense (CD) through academic year 2028. NSU first received this designation in March 2005 among the first in the State of Florida, and was re-designated in 2009, again in 2014, and most recently on August 19, 2021. For nearly two decades, NSU has been serving as a national leader in cybersecurity education and have assisted NSA and its affiliated federal agencies in establishing national standards for the CAE-CD program criteria that are serving the nation well in contributing to the protection of the National Information Infrastructure. NSU was among the few invited institutions nationwide who participated in NSA's CAE-CD Pilot Program between 2019 and 2021.
A Center of Excellence in Cybersecurity Education and Research
Enhancing the cybersecurity, risk mitigation to cyber-attacks, and information infrastructure security hardening are more important now than ever before. NSA's goal in establishing National Centers of Academic Excellence (NCAE) two decades ago was to reduce vulnerability in our national information infrastructure by promoting higher education and research in information assurance, cybersecurity, and information security, to graduate more professionals with such expertise in various disciplines.
This designation lead by faculty members from NSU's College of Computing and Engineering (CCE) applies to the entire university. Additionally, CCE faculty members are serving on key leadership roles within the CAE Community in assisting the community and NSA to ensure the next generation cybersecurity graduates as well as educators are highly competent. NSU looks forward to continuing its role as a center of excellence in information assurance, cybersecurity, and information security to provide a greater level of service and expertise to our communities in South Florida, the State of Florida, and the nation as it relates to these critical areas.
Dr. Yair Levy, NSU's College of Computing and Engineering's Professor of Information Systems and Cybersecurity, and the Director of CIPhER accepted the NCAE-C Re-Designation Certificate from NSA with representatives from CISA and FBI, on behalf of the university on June 10, 2022.
Dr. Meline Kevorkian, Associate Provost of Nova Southeastern University and Dean, College of Computing and Engineering, Dr. Gregory E. Simco, Chair, Department of Computing, Chair, Department of Engineering, and Professor of Computer Science and Cybersecurity, College of Computing and Engineering, and Dr. Yair Levy, College of Computing and Engineering's Professor of Information Systems and Cybersecurity, and the Director of CIPhER accepted the NCAE-C Cyber Research (CAE-R) Designation Certificate from NSA with representatives from CISA and FBI, on behalf of the university on June 5, 2024.
