COD Recognized as Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense

College of DuPage has been designated as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Two-Year Education (CAE-CDE 2Y) through academic year 2022 by the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

The CAE-CDE 2Y designation promotes higher education and research in cyber defense to reduce vulnerability in the United States' information infrastructure, as well as producing a growing number of professionals with cyber defense expertise in various disciplines. Open to regionally accredited two-year institutions in the U.S., the CAE-CDE 2Y designation validates the academic rigor of the recognized program and provides significantly increased opportunities for collaboration and additional funding.

"This designation as a CAE-CDE 2Y program by the NSA and the DHS validates the academic rigor of our cyber defense program," said Tony Chen, Professor of Computer and Internetworking Technologies at College of DuPage. "It also validates College of DuPage as an institution dedicated to providing students with state-of-the-art training for the in-demand jobs of today and tomorrow, as well as helping to develop a highly-proficient workforce able to combat the increasing threat of cybercrime and its effects on the security of individuals and the nation as a whole."

Housed within the College's CIT program, the Center for Cyber Defense Education is dedicated to the development, promotion and support of education, collaboration and innovation in security technologies and management, information security assurance and digital forensics across multiple academic and professional disciplines. The proximity of the College's award-winning Homeland Security Education Center provides opportunities for interdisciplinary educational and professional projects and collaborative experiences across a variety of computer and criminal justice and security disciplines.

College of DuPage currently offers a Cyber Security and Defense Associate in Applied Science degree as well as a six-course training program aligned with core knowledge units required by the NSA and DHS. Upon completion of the program, students will receive a certificate from COD on the behalf of the NSA and the DHS.

For more information about the Center for Cyber Defense Education at College of DuPage, please click here or contact Tony Chen at chento@cod.edu or (630) 942-2537.

The Computer and Internetworking Technologies (CIT) program at College of DuPage offers a variety of degrees and certificates that allow graduates to pursue a career in a wide range of information technology fields. In addition, CIT offers a variety of certification training programs through its Cisco Networking Academy, CompTIA Academy and the Microsoft Imaging Academy. These training courses are for individuals interested in advancing their careers or for students who want to specialize in a particular area of study and receive certification training prior to graduation.

Click here for more information about the CIT program at College of DuPage.