Regent’s Cyber Program Receives NSA and DHS Designation

Regent University was named as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education (CAE-CDE) by the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). According to the latest data published by NICE (National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education, 2018), Regent is among only four percent of universities in the United States to receive this merit.

The CAE-CDE designation is awarded to regionally accredited two-year, four-year and graduate level institutions in the United States who are committed to creating cybersecurity programs to train students who will defend America’s cyberspace. Regent was granted the CAE-CDE designation after an intensive, three-year review. And, it comes less than one year after the launch of its state-of-the-art cyber range, the first of its kind at a private university in the United States. The cyber range trains students at the bachelor’s and master’s level as well as offers C-Suite and industry certification training for professionals seeking to combat today’s dynamic threat environment.

“Regent University is committed to building the most highly trained cyber workforce in the nation,” said Dr. M.G. “Pat” Robertson, Regent founder, chancellor, and CEO. “This certification from the NSA and the DHS is an important step toward equipping the next generation of cybersecurity professionals with the highest level of training available.”

The CAE-CDE distinction comes at a critical time in the nation’s cyber defense, with a predicted shortfall of 1.5 million cybersecurity professionals to protect the nation from a forecasted loss of six trillion dollars-worth of cyber assets by 2021 (Cybersecurity Ventures).

“It is an immense honor for Regent to have received this prestigious distinction from the NSA and the DHS,” said executive vice president for Academic Affairs, Dr. Gerson Moreno-Riaño. “Regent will continue to advance education and training for industry-leading professionals to equip them to serve and lead in the cyber domain as well as to protect the data of our nation’s government, infrastructure, businesses and communities.”

“This recognition is a tribute to the excellence of our B.S. in Cybersecurity program, our faculty, students, and facilities. It recognizes Regent as a key player in cybersecurity education, not only in Virginia but in our nation,” said Regent’s College of Arts & Sciences Engineering & Computer Sciences professor and department chair, Cheryl Beauchamp.