GFC MSU receives national cyber defense designation from NSA and DHS

Special to the Tribune | Great Falls Tribune

Great Falls College MSU received its designation as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education from the National Security Agency and Department of Homeland Security recently at a ceremony in Phoenix. GFC MSU is now one of only two such designees in Montana and only 312 in the country.

“We are excited to receive this designation by the National Security Agency and Department of Homeland Security,” said Dr. Susan Wolff, CEO/Dean at GFC MSU. “It is a rigorous process to receive the designation and speaks to the quality of the curriculum and faculty in the college’s Computer Technology programs.”

The designation resulted from a yearlong process in which the curriculum of the college’s AAS in Network Support and Security was evaluated and found to meet the criteria set by the NSA for excellence in cybersecurity education.

Dr. Leanne Frost, director of General Studies, and Chris Mee, Computer Technology department chair, for the college received the official certificate from the Commandant of the National Cryptologic School of the NSA, Diane Janosek.

“Being designated as a Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education, Great Falls College MSU now has the distinction as an educational institute that meets rigorous requirements and criteria,” said Mee.

The Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education designation at the associate level is available to regionally accredited two-year colleges as outlined by the U.S. Department of Education.

Today, most businesses have an online presence. Whether it is energy grid, medical and financial centers, or through online shopping, an informational site, or database, businesses operations are dependent upon technology which needs to be protected from hackers. By providing Cybersecurity programs and being designated by the National Security Agency and Department of Homeland Security, Great Falls College MSU is prepared to equip students with the skills and knowledge they need to work for local businesses and increase their cyber defenses, a release from the school said.

Registration is open now for spring semester, and current or prospective students interested in pursuing a future in Computer Technology or Cybersecurity. Contact Admissions by calling (406)268-3700, or by visiting the college’s website at gfcmsu.edu and clicking on “Become a Student.”