December 1, 2005

Columbus State Universitys TSYS Department of Computer Science has been recognized for meeting the highest of standards established through the U.S. Department of Defense for information technology security training.

The National Security Agencys Committee on National Security Systems has accredited CSUs computer science masters degree program with a concentration in information assurance.

The designation, effective through 2007, confirms that CSU is one of just four institutions in Georgia producing information security professionals skilled according to standards set by the CNSS a body chaired by the U.S. Department of Defense.

CSUs curriculum has been successfully mapped to the national training standards for both INFOSEC Professionals and Information Systems Security Officers .

The accreditation reinforces CSUs response to information technology security concerns raised by local industry, said CSU computer science professor and department chair Wayne Summers. Those concerns focus on threats to both networks and information on personal computers. With the increasing concerns about identity theft and computer fraud, its important that we educate professionals to secure our information, Summers said.

In 2002, CSU created a Center for Information Assurance Education as a component of its now-accredited computer science masters degree program. Of the programs 54 graduates since May 2003, 12 hold degrees specifically with the information assurance track.

Almost every student in the program has taken, or will enroll in, at least one course in information assurance. Those courses are Information Systems Assurance, Network Security, Advanced System Security, Computer Forensics, Network Risk Assessment, and Software Testing and Quality Assurance.

The computer science department developed the information assurance curriculum in cooperation with local industries and trade groups including Chattahoochee Valley Infragard a cooperative security-information sharing and analysis effort including the FBI and local businesses and government organizations.

For more information, contact the TSYS Department of Computer Science at 568-2410 or visit online at http://cs.colstate.edu.