The University of West Florida will receive a $200,000 grant from the National Security Agency to help boost cybersecurity education programs for colleges and universities in the southeastern U.S.
NSA picked UWF as the location of the National Center of Academic Excellence Cybersecurity Regional Resource Center for higher education institutions in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee and Puerto Rico, the university said Monday.
UWF’s Center for Cybersecurity will lead efforts to advance cyber defense education in the southeast region as well as support new and existing CAE institutions as a CAE Regional Resource Center.
Eman El-Sheikh, director of UWF’s Center for Cybersecurity, said the university will work to provide cybersecurity program development support; facilitate faculty professional development activities; and foster research and education collaborations among Southeast institutions.
The university will also collaborate with NSA’s CAE Program Office and other regional and national centers across U.S. to drive cybersecurity education and expand the CAE program nationwide.
NSA and the Department of Homeland Security designated UWF as a CAEÂ in Cyber Defense Education last year.
The National Centers of Academic Excellence program aims to promote higher education and research in cyber defense as well as increase the number of cybersecurity professionals who help secure the U.S. information infrastructure.
