U.S. National Security Agency names UNT College of Engineering center among nation's elite computer security programs

The U.S. National Security Agency designated UNT a "Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education" for its computer and information security program.

This recognition places UNT, one of 10 new designees for 2004, among the universities with the top academic computer security programs in the nation.

Nationally, only 60 centers of excellence have been designated at four-year colleges and graduate-level universities, including the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and the Air Force Institute of Technology.

UNT's computer security program is based in the Center for Information and Computer Security, a multidisciplinary center combining computer science, engineering, business and criminal justice. Though the center was established last year, UNT computer security research dates back to 1979, with the first courses offered in 1998.

The center is part of the UNT College of Engineering in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering.

"This designation is a distinct honor that acknowledges both the high quality of faculty and research at UNT and the decades of academic scholarship in computer security produced here," says Stephen Tate, CICS director and associate professor of computer science and engineering.

Award recipients must pass an NSA review of faculty, programs, curriculum and research to be recognized.

The focus of UNT's computer security center is to coordinate and promote education, research and service projects in information and computer security. The program offers courses in computer crime and digital forensics as well as cyber security.

BY RUFUS COLEMAN rcoleman@unt.edu

Other featured articles in this issue

• Two UNT graduate programs ranked high by U.S. News and World Report
• Entrepreneur ranks Murphy Enterprise Center in top tier of regional programs
• College of Business Administration dean to step down; interim dean chosen
• Texas attorney general speaks at UNT
• Karen Hughes, Kinky Friedman headline first UNT System Book and Author Luncheon
• New general counsel addresses Faculty Senate
• UNT Moot Court squad finishes 2003-04 year ranked first in the state

homepage