U.S. National Security Agency Recognizes NJIT Cyber Defense Education

NJIT's Cybersecurity Research Center recently earned a National Center of Academic Excellence designation, recognizing the university's ability to train students in defending high-value computer networks.

This designation, determined by the U.S. National Security Agency, covers 2021-2026 and indicates that the university continued improving its education to meet the new standards. NJIT also received the honor from 2009-2014 and 2015-2020.

Each term becomes increasingly stringent so that federal agencies can ensure the nation's top cybersecurity experts are keeping pace with cyber criminals. Universities first validate their program of study and then apply for the designation, explained Professor Reza Curtmola, director of the Ph.D. program in Ying Wu College of Computing and co-director of the Cybersecurity Research Center.

"I'm happy that NJIT was able to renew this prestigious designation, which recognizes the quality of our programs in cybersecurity and carries weight with prospective applicants that want to specialize in this area," Curtmola said. "It also opens the door to additional educational and research opportunities from federal funding agencies."

"Unlike the previous designation which focused on quantity, the current designation criteria focus more on quality," Curtmola said, adding that the process requires peer review by a committee of experts in the field to ensure rigor. This change is intended to make sure centers are offering top-level education, not just a collection of courses where students might not perform as well. NJIT validated its M.S. in Cyber Security and Privacy degree. Validation and re-designation involved showing that students are learning key subjects, such as cybersecurity foundations, network defense, vulnerability analysis, penetration testing and web application security, Curtmola said.

It also meant showing how success is measured not just in classrooms but also in related extracurricular activities, as well as showing that the faculty, not just the students, continue to keep pace with the latest advancements in their fields. Assessment indicates that the program meets appropriate learning outcomes and continuous improvement criteria.

In addition, "The academic institution must demonstrate how cybersecurity practices are extended beyond the normal boundaries of the institution [and] how cybersecurity concepts developed at the academic institution are shared with others to improve the practice of cybersecurity in the community," Curtmola noted.

While the current designation is for cyber defense education, Curtmola said he thinks that NJIT already has, or can develop, the capacity for the National Security Agency's next level of designation focusing on cyber research. "I believe we do have the critical mass to go after the CAE-R designation … we may pursue that one down the line," he said.

NJIT this year also won a grant for its second term in the National Science Foundation CyberCorps Scholarship for Service program, which provides funds for cybersecurity students who wish to become federal government employees. 

Other recent notable cybersecurity successes include research from the Electrical and Computer Engineering department into post-quantum cryptography, Senior University Lecturer Robert Statica selling his secure messaging company to Amazon.

NJIT's own computer security official, George Eliopolous, earned his degree here. Beside degree-granting studies for cybersecurity, NJIT also offers professional development studies.