becoming a cae/ia - the process

Becoming a CAE/IA - The Process

Centers of Academic Excellence

Center Designations

Benefits

The Process

Website: www.nsa.gov/ia/academia/caeiae.cfm

Center Designations

NSA Objective• “To reduce vulnerability in our

national information infrastructure by promoting higher education in information assurance (IA)”

• “Producing a growing number of professionals with IA expertise in various disciplines”

Center Designations

Program Statistics• 8 years old • 66 CAEs NOTE: Only four CAEs in Northeast U.S.

• Application deadline – mid-December, annually

Center Designations

CAEs in Northeast U.S.• Massachusetts:

o Boston Universityo Northeastern Universityo University of Massachusetts – Amherst

• Vermont:o Norwich University

• Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut - NONE

Benefits

Formal recognition from U.S. government

Prestige Publicity Scholarship eligibility Grant eligibility

The Process Course mappings to NSTISSI 40XX

security series (two minimum) Filing of mappings for certification Post-certification, creation of CAE

application materials• Identification of gaps/missing elements• Plan for remedies

Filing Center application before mid-December deadline

The Process

Course Mappings – estimates• 40 hours per standard

CAE application –• 3 months (Pace Univ., GWU and

NDU)• 6 months (West Chester Univ.)• 3 weeks for re-certifications (ESU)

The Criteria for CAE Status

Criteria No.

Description

1. Partnerships in IA education

2. IA treated as a multidisciplinary science

3. University encourages the practice of IA

4. Academic program encourages IA research

5. Curriculum reaches beyond univ. borders

The Criteria for CAE Status

Criteria No.

Description

6. Faculty active in IA R&P

7. State-of-the-Art IA Resources

8. Declared concentrations in IA

9. Declared Center for IA Education or Research

10. Full-time IA faculty

The Essentials

College President / management team – full support for initiative

Dept. Chairs – ongoing support; consistent message that the project has priority status

Time-table – minimum deviation

The Journey…

Not for the faint of heart

Not for the undecided or uncommitted

The Recipients: high honor with multiple, collateral, unanticipated rewards