|
MATC's Cyber Security Program Approved
by U.S. National Security Agency
Madison Area Technical College’s “Cyber Security” degree
program, which trains network security specialists to fight viruses,
worms and other threats to computer systems and data, has earned
federal certification by the U.S. government agency in charge of
keeping the nation’s information technology infrastructure
secure.
MATC’s two-year associate degree program is one of
only two in Wisconsin, and 124 nationwide, to be certified by the
National
Security Agency (NSA) Committee on National Security Systems (CNSS).
MATC is the first technical college in the state to achieve this
distinction.
“The demand for cyber security specialists is growing rapidly
as businesses and agencies focus on protecting their computer systems
from attack. Our program’s certification will give employers
the assurance that MATC’s network security graduates have
completed a program that meets the highest federal standards,” states
Ken McCullough, lead instructor in MATC’s Information Technology
Department. “It recognizes us as a leader in creating a top-notch
program to meet the demand for skilled workers in this emerging
high-tech field.”
Nearly 50 students are enrolled in the MATC
Network Security Specialist associate degree program, which was
created last year with assistance
from a federal grant from the National Science Foundation and a
grant from the State of Wisconsin. The program’s first class
will graduate in spring 2006.
“The CNSS national standards raise the bar for quality in
developing computer security curriculum. Students who attend CNSS
certified
institutions will be better equipped to meet the challenges facing
our national information assurance infrastructure,” said
Sherry Borror, Information Assurance Courseware Evaluation Manager
for the NSA’s National Information Assurance Education & Training
Program. The NSA has made a high priority of protecting the nation’s
IT infrastructure by supporting rigorous college curriculum standards
in computer security and
information assurance (IA) programs. The MATC program will not only prepare students
for jobs in the computer security field, but also train instructors from other
institutions.
“CNSS certified programs serve as a model for other public
and private education and training institutions. They play a key
role in providing standardized
IA
education and training,” Borror said. “Many people are pursuing
network security degrees to prepare for work in the high-tech industry, update
their
existing skills, or learn to secure their home or small business computer
systems. Graduates will benefit from the added value of a degree which has
earned CNSS
certification because it signifies to hiring officials that they are skilled
at a high level.”
MATC is one of the largest of the Wisconsin Technical
College System’s
16 colleges. It provides a comprehensive curriculum of technical, liberal
arts and science, adult basic education and life enrichment studies and activities,
as well as customized employee training. MATC provides training in more than
120 career programs. It awards associate degrees, vocational diplomas and
certificates,
and offers non-degree courses. The college serves all or parts of 12 counties
located in south-central Wisconsin and offers instruction through five campuses
and numerous other locations throughout the district.
###
Last
Modified:
November 17, 2005
top |
