Tennessee Tech University has earned a designation from the National Security Agency for the university’s efforts in cybersecurity research and innovation.
The designation, the National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity Research. It represents exceptional capability in conducting cutting-edge cybersecurity research aligned with national priorities. Tennessee Tech’s Dr. Muhammad Ismail said last year alone, Tennessee Tech faculty and students produced over 100 cybersecurity research manuscripts.
“We have expanded significantly, I would say specifically over the past five years, when it comes to research,” Ismail said. “Graduating PhD students, master students, publishing research papers, and receiving funded projects for research in cybersecurity. So as I said, this is a big recognition.”
Ismail said the designation also highlights that Tennessee Tech has the facilities and program to prepare students for the industry and to do work of national importance. Ismail said examples of nationally important work are preventing cyber attacks on key infrastructure.
“That’s why all these funding agencies like the National Science Foundation, Department of War, Department of Energy,” Ismail said. “They are funding this research, so we will very well what are the new vulnerabilities, we would learn very well how to defend and protect our system, and when needed, how to strike back.”
Ismail said the center has a cyber innovation lab that allows students and faculty to research things like malware analysis, learn how to launch cyber attacks on infrastructure and drone swarms, and learning how to use Quantum communication systems.
This is the second designation for CEROC as the center has already received the NCAE-CD (Cyber Defense) designation, which highlights excellence in cybersecurity education and workforce development. Ismail said the university is working towards a third designation, which is NCAE-CO (Cyber Operations) designation. Ismail said the designation focuses on advanced technical skills for defending against sophisticated cyber threats, and only 11 schools in the nation have all three designations from the NSA.
“We started this summer, something called SOC, which is a Security Operations Center,” Ismail said. “So this is an opportunity for our students at Tennessee Tech to sit in a very similar environment that they would sit after graduation because that is eventually what they go and do, but the job is to be a cybersecurity engineer in a SOC. We created one here, and we are offering training on the tools, the infrastructure, and the facilities that they would see in the real work environment. And that’s one step toward getting that designation.”
Ismail said CEROC offers scholarships to students who want to pursue cybersecurity-focused degrees and conduct research.
The university’s Cybersecurity Education, Research, and Outreach Center, also known as CEROC, received the honor.
