MassBay Community College is now only the third community college in New England, and the first in Massachusetts, to earn the designation of a Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (CAE-CD) by the National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity (NCAE-C). Only 20 institutions of higher education in all of New England have earned the CAE-CD designation.
The CAE-CD is bestowed on institutions that are deemed as instrumental in helping to reduce threats to the national infrastructure by promoting higher education and research in cyber defense, as well as providing the nation with a pipeline of qualified cybersecurity professionals. The prestigious CAE-CD designation is awarded to regionally accredited academic institutions offering cybersecurity degrees and/or certificates at the associate, bachelor, and graduate levels.
“We are extremely proud, but not surprised, that our cybersecurity programs have been acknowledged with this prestigious designation,” said MassBay President David Podell. “Our cybersecurity programs are cutting-edge, and we have been educating the country’s future workforce to protect our privacy and the national cyber infrastructure for many years now. This designation is another confirmation that our cybersecurity programs stand among the highest quality anywhere.”
MassBay is the first and only institution of higher education in Massachusetts to offer an associate degree in cybersecurity. The CAE-CD is the second recognition MassBay’s cybersecurity programs have received by the U.S. Government in the past year. In August 2023, MassBay’s was deemed a model program by the White House during the release of the Biden-Harris Administration’s National Cyber Workforce and Education Strategy.
Founded in 2013 as a certificate in cybersecurity, MassBay’s cybersecurity programs have been expanded to include a certificate in advanced cybersecurity and an associate degree in cybersecurity. The programs recently earned two significant grants to enhance its educational reach and capacity. In 2021, MassBay received a National Science Foundation (NSF) Advanced Technology Education (ATE) grant entitled AttrACTing the Next Generation Cybersecurity Workforce (ACT) in the amount of $598,712. The ACT grant funds are devoted to diversifying the cybersecurity field by recruiting, retaining, and graduating underrepresented and especially female students in MassBay’s cybersecurity programs. In the fall of 2023, the College was awarded $804,162 from the Healey-Driscoll Administration as part of their $1.4 million investment to increase cyber training in Massachusetts. These funds enabled MassBay to open a cyber range, a state-of-the-art virtual environment, enabling users to hone their skills detecting, intercepting, and defending against simulated cyber-crimes.
The programs feature three outstanding faculty: Shamsi Moussavi, Computer Science Professor and Director of the MassBay Center for Cybersecurity Education; Tony Sena, Professor and Chair of the Computer Science department; and Kara Lucciola, J.D., Professor of Legal Studies and Criminal Justice.
“Cybersecurity impacts all citizens on a daily basis, making it vital that we have an educated workforce ready to protect us,” said Professor Moussavi. “The investments MassBay has made in cybersecurity has ensured students will receive the skills and knowledge they need to launch careers in the constantly evolving, complex cybersecurity industry. And, in doing so, they will have a direct impact on the future of our national security and the stability of our economy.”
Enrollment for the fall 2024 semester is currently underway. Qualified Massachusetts residents who don’t already hold a bachelor’s degree are eligible to attend MassBay for free for those who submit a FAFSA and submit a free application to MassBay by August 27, 2024. More information about free college can be found here: www.massbay.edu/free.
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