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Joseph Baucum , jbaucum@pnj.com 8:00 a.m. CT April 10, 2017

University of West Florida students Ian Briggs, left, and Jessica Aguilar work on a computer program in the Battle Lab at UWF on Wednesday, April 5, 2017.(Photo: Tony Giberson/tgiberson@pnj.com)Buy Photo

The University of West Florida's role inevolving the Southeastas a power in cybersecurity workforcedevelopment will soon expand exponentially.

In a joint sponsorship betweenthe National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security, the university's Center for Cybersecurity has been designated as the National Center Academic of Excellence (CAE) Regional ResourceCenter for the Southeast region.

Only six institutions were given the regional designation. As part of the honor, the universitywill serve as the CAE Regional Resource Center for all colleges and universities in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee and Puerto Rico.

"The goal of the National Security Agencys CAE office is to increase the number of qualified cybersecurity professionals by expanding the number of CAE institutions," said Eman El-Sheikh, director of theCenter for Cybersecurity."Our missionwill be to provide leadership to do that in the Southeast."

The university plans to host workshops and professional development activities in the local area and across the region in its role as a resource center. They include a CAE mentor and peer reviewer workshop in June at theNational Cyber Summit in Huntsville, Alabama, andaworkshop on securingsoftware development for faculty in Pensacola in the fall. It will alsocreate an online resource portal thatcolleges and universities in the Southeast can access.

At left, Dustin Mink, University of West Florida assistant director of the Center for Cybersecurity, and student Nathan Earley talk on Wednesday, April 5, 2017, in the UWF Battle Lab.(Photo: Tony Giberson/tgiberson@pnj.com)

With cyberattacksescalatingastechnology advances, a qualifiedworkforce in cybersecurity is critical. According to the Department of Homeland Security's National Initiative for Cybersecurity Careers and Studies, aboutone out of every five Americans havebeen victimized by cybercrime. Cyberattacks also cost the average U.S. company more than $15.4 million annually.

To ensure enough qualified professionals exist, El-Sheikh said the National Security Agency's goal is to increase the number of CAE institutions across the country. More than 200 colleges and universities across the U.S. and Puerto Ricoare already designated as a CAE based on their degree programs and close alignment to specific cybersecurity-related criteria and curriculum.

But a substantial amount more could benefit from earning the designation.

"Currently less than 5 percent of institutions have it, and in our world, that designation is a gold star," El-Sheikh said.

Martha Saunders, University of West Florida president, expects the university'sdesignation as a CAE Regional Resource Center to further its mission of being a community resource. She anticipatescybersecurity to change and be redefined dozens of times over the next few years, but she saidas changes in the industryoccur, the university will always play a handin developing the kind of workforce that is needed.

"There are lots of centers for cybersecurity across the U.S. that could have been picked, but they chose us," she said of the CAE Regional Resource Center designation. "I find that encouragingnot just for the university, but for the whole community."

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NSA awards UWF Center for Cybersecurity with designation - Pensacola News Journal