The University of North Georgia recently earned designation as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense.

The designation is from the Department of Homeland Security and the National Security Agency who jointly sponsor the National Centers of Academic Excellence program. Universities are designated based on their robust degree programs and close alignment to specific cybersecurity-related knowledge units, validated by subject matter experts in the field. CAE graduates help protect national security information systems, commercial networks, and critical information infrastructure in the private and public sectors.

In January, UNG launched the Center for Cyber Operations Education to plan, coordinate and support cyber education in the university's 30-county service region. 

"Our institution is well on its way to becoming a national leader in cybersecurity education," said Dr. Bonita Jacobs, president of UNG. "Being recognized alongside other elite universities heightens our academic reputation and validates that our cyber education initiatives meet the highest national standards."

With the designation, effective through 2021, UNG joins 124 higher education institutions nationwide, including just four others in Georgia: Clark Atlanta, Georgia Tech, Kennesaw State, and Columbus State.

"UNG is uniquely equipped to prepare students for military, federal service and civilian cybersecurity career paths, as the military and private industry are looking for a combination of education and skills in languages, leadership and cyber – and UNG offers a strategic focus on all three," said Dr. Bryson Payne, director of the Center for Cyber Operations Education. "Our students are completing internships and entering careers in cybersecurity with both private industry and the Department of Defense, and we continue to receive positive feedback about the quality and preparation of our students for these crucial positions in cyber."

Because UNG is one of only six senior military colleges in the nation and is designated as The Military College of Georgia. To date, UNG has produced one of just a dozen or so cyber branch second lieutenants in the country.

The state of Georgia is home to more than 115 information security companies generating more than $4.7 billion in annual revenue and Georgia's Fort Gordon is home to the U.S. Army Cyber Center of Excellence and U.S. Army Cyber School.