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Agreement Energizes Cybersecurity Education

The AFCEA Educational Foundation and Cypherpath LLC have partnered to offer cybersecurity courses that address needs recently identified by a U.S. House of Representatives task force on the topic.
By Maryann Lawlor, SIGNAL Connections

The AFCEA Educational Foundation and Cypherpath LLC have partnered to offer cybersecurity courses that address needs recently identified by a U.S. House of Representatives task force on the topic. Based on National Initiative Cybersecurity Education (NICE) guidelines, classes will be offered on two levels: a cybersecurity executive series of five one-day courses and a Continuing Education Unit program. The training will be offered through the foundation’s Professional Development Center (PDC).

The U.S. House report cites three issues as major security challenges in the cyberdomain. First, cybersecurity is a serious concern for top government, intelligence and military leaders. Their fears primarily are caused by the United States’ and the militaries’ reliance on information technology and the fact that U.S. laws and policies have not caught up with the rapid changes in technology. Second, the task force’s research demonstrated that cyberthreats are real and immediate. Although cyberbreaches are publicized often, most incidents are never revealed, the group found. Third, the task force report pointed out that the economy and employment now are connected to cyberspace. In addition to national security information, intellectual property is being stolen by cyberthieves.

AFCEA’s agreement with Cypherpath invokes guidance from NICE to create the executive series, which will include courses on cyberwarfare, cyberterrorism, cyber intelligence, cyberdiplomacy and cyberthreats—chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, explosive and electromagnetic pulse. The classes will take place February 20 to 24, 2012. Registration is available online or by contacting Sheila McCoy, PDC coordinator, at (703) 631-6135.

The partnership also results in the creation of a Continuing Education Unit (CEU) program, which offers a CEU credentialing solutions. The credentialing courses also support the U.S. Defense Department’s Directive 8570.01. AFCEA conference attendees can take part in preapproved sessions that can be applied to CompTIA A+, Network+ and Security+ continuing education programs and for Certified Information Systems Security Professional, or CISSP, recertification.

In addition to this most recent partnership, the Educational Foundation and PDC have established relationships with a number of other educational institutions to offer discounts and classes in the information technology and intelligence fields. For example, the University of Maryland Clark School’s Professional Master of Engineering or Graduate Certificate of Engineering programs offer AFCEA members a 10 percent discount when they enroll in the Professional Master of Engineering program. Discounts also are available to AFCEA members at the Software Engineering Institute professional development center, for the University of Maryland University College information assurance and cybersecurity programs, and the Intelligence & Security Academy.