by Brianna MacLean, WJMN Local 3. Published March 9, 2023. Read the original article.
HOUGHTON, Mich. (WJMN) – The National Security Agency (NSA) has designated Michigan Technological University a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (CAE-CD). This makes Michigan Tech one of 300 academic institutions in the country designated for its programs in cybersecurity. The designation is in effect through the 2027-28 academic year.
“Cybersecurity is a fast-growing discipline,” said Michigan Tech Professor Yu Cai. “It attracts a lot of attention because everything needs cybersecurity, from our cellphone to the computer we use every day, to the social media. Cybersecurity and online security, online privacy impacts every single one of us.”
According to NSA, the CAE-CD designation is awarded to regionally accredited academic institutions offering cybersecurity degrees and/or certificates at the associate, bachelor’s and graduate levels. With the global threat of cyber-attacks, there is a strong demand for cybersecurity professionals.
“Here at Michigan Tech, we offer a bachelor in cybersecurity, a master in cybersecurity, as well as a very popular undergraduate minor in cybersecurity,” said Cai. “We have a number of cybersecurity courses, so our goal is to train high-quality, well-prepared cybersecurity professionals for the country.”
Gary Tropp is currently working towards his master’s degree in cybersecurity at Michigan Tech.
“I think for me the cybersecurity field is really about applying my ability to understand this field and really protecting everybody else out there who doesn’t have that understanding,” said Tropp. “I’m really into the computer field in general, I like to repair everything because it’s all about, not everyone should have to go out there and study all this to feel safe. To feel like they can access their accounts and not have to worry about if at any point that information is going to disappear, or if they’re going to be exploited or taken advantage of.”
Michigan Tech also offers summer cybersecurity experiences for K-12 students and teachers called GenCyber. To learn more about GenCyber and the cybersecurity programs offered at Michigan Tech, click here.