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The National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security recently appointed Stevens Institute of Technology among the first institutions to be recognized as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance (IA) Research. Dr. Susanne Wetzel and Dr. Sven Dietrich (both in the Department of Computer Science) coordinated and compiled the Stevens application. Their efforts were supported by Dr. K.P. Subbalakshmi (Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering).

In September 2007, the National Centers of Academic Excellence in IA Research Program was launched to address the need for robust IA technology, policy, and practices to effectively prevent and respond to a national catastrophic cyberspace event. This program recognizes schools that foster an IA research focus in their curriculum and labs. The vision for this program is to establish a process that will drill deeper into much needed solutions for securing the global information grid, and provide NSA, DHS, and other federal agencies with insight into academic IA programs that can support advanced research and development capabilities for securing cyberspace.

The President's National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace refers to cyberspace as the nervous system of our Nation's critical infrastructures, and indicates that the healthy functioning of cyberspace is essential to our economy and our national security. Securing cyberspace presents a difficult strategic challenge, and information assurance education is a critical component in successfully meeting that challenge.

Photo Left to Right:

Mr. David Wennergren
Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Information Management and Technology & DoD Deputy Chief Information Officer

Susanne Wetzel

Sven Dietrich

Ms. Brenda Oldfield
Director of Education, Training & Workforce Development Department of Homeland Security