NSA names Towson U. a cyber center

The National Security Agency has designated Towson University as one of five new National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Operations, the agency announced in a release.
The designation, which will last at least through 2019, highlights colleges with an interdisciplinary curriculum focused on computer science, computer engineering and electrical engineering, according to the release.
All schools had to complete a rigorous application process, one that included legal and ethical issues in cybersecurity.

Steven LaFountain, the dean of NSA’s College of Cyber, said legal and ethical issues in cybersecurity are a mandatory and vital part of becoming a CAE in Cyber Operations.

“In the application process and in all collaboration with selected schools, the importance of integrity and compliance is always paramount,” LaFountain said in the release. “Cybersecurity technical skills are increasingly important in national defense, but it’s equally important to operate within the bounds of the law and Constitution.”

Towson joins New York University, the United States Military Academy (West Point), the University of Cincinnati and the University of New Orleans. Of the 13 NSA cyber centers nationwide, it’s the only one in Maryland, according to a university blog post.