HAMPTON ROADS, Va. – Governor Terry McAuliffe announced Thursday that Tidewater Community College is the latest Virginia school to be named a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (CAE2Y) by the United States National Security Agency (NSA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
This comes after 100 employees reported having trouble filing their taxes in March due to a data breach that exposed the Social Security numbers and financial information of over 3,000 employees.
TCC is only the third Virginia community college to receive the CAE2Y designation, which recognizes schools that excel in preparing students to become leaders in cyber security.
Tidewater Community College was also recognized as one of 10 top digital community colleges in a national survey by The Center for Digital Education (CDE).
“Our two-year institutions are bastions of innovation and creativity, and I am proud that TCC is providing our students with the training they need to be successful in the high-tech, high-paying sectors of the new Virginia economy. The future of the cybersecurity field in Virginia is even brighter, thanks to the work of TCC,” Gov. McAuliffe said.
The CAE2Y designation was put in place in 2010 to recognize two-year colleges that make significant contributions to meeting the national demand for cyber defense education.
“TCC is honored to receive the distinction of being named a National Center of Academic Excellence,” said TCC President Edna V. Baehre-Kolovani. “Our faculty and administrators have worked hard to ensure our cybersecurity program meets the highest industry and government standards, and that our graduates are fully prepared to be productive workers in this vitally important field.”
Established in 1998, the National Center of Academic Excellence program promotes higher education in cyber defense, prepares cybersecurity professionals and reduces vulnerabilities in the nation’s cyber infrastructure.
According to TCC, cybersecurity classes are taught by faculty members who hold master’s degrees in the field, are experienced and possess relevant industry credentials.
For more information on TCC’s Cyber Security degree and certificates, visit www.tcc.edu/cybersecurity or email rguess@tcc.edu.
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