Center for Cyber Defense Education Honored

Use a unique, strong password for each important account, think before you click, and enable multi-factor authentication. Our online security is critical in today’s world.  

Since 2018, UNCW 's Center for Cyber Defense Education has raised awareness of cybersecurity issues and supported the development of cyber defense expertise for the campus community. 

The National Security Agency’s National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity program directors recently recognized UNCW for the outreach efforts of CCDE faculty and staff. UNCW was one of 10 schools honored with an award at the 10th annual CAE Community Meeting in Seattle on June 10. Professor of Information Systems Dr. Ulku Y. Clark directs the center and accepted the award on the university’s behalf. 

The center hosts an array of webinars, workshops and programs throughout the year, including an annual cybersecurity conference. The one-day conference, held during National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, features speakers from business, academia and government discussing cybersecurity-related topics. This year’s conference is planned for Oct. 12-13 at UNCW.

UNCW is designated as a Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education by the National Security Agency and Department of Homeland Security through 2023. Currently, 409 schools hold the NSA/DHS CAE designation, which is awarded to regionally accredited academic institutions offering cybersecurity degrees and/or certificates at the associate, undergraduate and graduate levels. 

The university launched a bachelor’s in cybersecurity in fall 2022, the first cybersecurity undergraduate major offered in the UNC System. Created by faculty from the Congdon School of Supply Chain, Business Analytics and Information Systems within the Cameron School of Business and faculty from the Department of Computer Science within the College of Science and Engineering, it draws from the expertise of information systems and computer science.