Academic Requirements for Designation as a NSA Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense

CORE Knowledge Units (2 year programs)

  Basic Data Analysis
  Basic Scripting or Introductory Programming
  Cyber Defense
  Cyber Threats
  Fundamental Security Design Principles
  IA Fundamentals
  Intro to Cryptography
  IT Systems Components
  Networking Concepts
  Policy, Legal, Ethics, and Compliance
  System Administration

Additional CORE Knowledge Units (4 year programs)

  Databases
  Network Defense
  Networking Technology and Protocols
  Operating Systems Concepts
  Probability and Statistics
  Programming

Optional Knowledge Units (5 required)

Advanced Cryptography                                 Intro to Theory of Computation
Advanced Network Technology and Protocols             Intrusion Detection
Algorithms                                            Life-Cycle Security
Analog Telecommunications                             Low Level Programming
Cloud Computing                                       Mobile Technologies
Cybersecurity Planning and Management                 Network Security Administration
Data Administration                                   Operating Systems Hardening
Data Structures                                       Operating Systems Theory
Database Management Systems                           Overview of Cyber Operations
Digital Communications                                Penetration Testing
Digital Forensics                                     QA / Functional Testing
  Device Forensics                                    RF Principles
  Host Forensics                                      Secure Programming Practices
  Media Forensics                                     Security Program Management
  Network Forensics                                   Security Risk Analysis
Embedded Systems                                      Software Assurance
Forensic Accounting                                   Software Reverse Engineering
Formal Methods                                        Software Security Analysis
Fraud Prevention and Management                       Supply Chain Security
Hardware Reverse Engineering                          Systems Programming
Hardware/Firmware Security                            Systems Certification and Accreditation
IA Architectures                                      Systems Security Engineering
IA Compliance                                         Virtualization Technologies
IA Standards                                          Vulnerability Analysis
Independent/Directed Study/Research                   Wireless Sensor Networks
Industrial Control Systems