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National Security Agency Prepares Students for Careers in Cyber Security
By Catherine Groux
Posted May 24, 2012 02:50 PM
Students at select schools can be trained by the NSA to prevent cybercrime.As computer use becomes increasingly common, so too does cybercrime. A new report shows that the federal Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) received more than 300,000 complaints of online criminal activity in 2011, marking a 3.4% increase from the previous year.
With this increase in cybercrime, the federal government will rely on college-educated individuals to create new ways to monitor online activity and prevent web-based crimes. However, because there is such a high demand for individuals with degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), the National Security Agency (NSA) took it upon itself to ensure it has enough trained professionals to handle the country's cyber security issues.
In January, the NSA announced the establishment of the National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Operations Program, according to a press release. Its purpose is to create students who are highly educated in the areas of computer science, computer engineering and electrical engineering. In doing so, the agency hopes to produce more skilled workers to ensure the nation is secure.
"The nation increasingly needs professionals with highly technical cyber skills to help keep America safe today - and to help the country meet future challenges and adapt with greater agility," said Steven LaFountain an NSA technical leader involved with the program. "When it comes to national security, there is no substitute for a dedicated, immensely talented workforce. This effort will sow even more seeds."
Colleges across the country were asked to apply to bring the program to their schools and recently, the NSA announced the first four universities it will accredit to teach Cyber Operations. The designation for the 2012-2013 academic year was awarded to Dakota State University, Northeastern University, the University of Tulsa and the Naval Postgraduate School, a recent press release states.
Although many schools across the country offer students cyber security courses, NSA states its program will be very different in that it will cover relevant academic technology skills and techniques used for specialized cyber operations, including collection, exploitation and response.
Students who participate in the program will be taught how their online skills can be applied to various government positions; however, the NSA states that participants will not engage in actual U.S. government intelligence activities.
