National Science Foundation Advanced Technical Education (ATE) Centers - Center for System Security and Information Assurance (CSSIA)

The NSF ATE Regional Center for Systems Security and Information Assurance (CSSIA) at Moraine Valley Community College (MVCC) is a regional NSF ATE center (like MPICT), serving the Midwest and greater Chicago area. Its mission is focused on cyber security and information assurance technical education at community colleges. Since 2003, CSSIA has had a tremendous impact on the cyber security and information assurance community, including:

1. Training over 1,500 faculty in approximately 150 multi-day workshops;

2. Executing Girl Tech summer camps with broad dissemination through a toolkit;

3. Creating a CSSIA Competition Industry Advisory Board (CIAB);

4. Organizing and operating five annual Cyber Defense and Disaster Recovery Conferences (CDDRC) (e.g.) with outreach to over 800 attendees;

5. Organizing and operating multiple successful Midwest regional and state level Collegiate Cyber Defense Competitions (CCDC);

6. Creating and operating a regional student internship initiative;

7. Conducting and publishing a Midwest Employment Needs Survey;

8. Establishing cyber security degrees and certificates that incorporate CSSIA-modeled courses throughout CSSIA partner institutions;

9. Developing a standardized cyber security instructional model for blended distance learning and student remote laboratory access;

10. Providing guidance and mentoring for institutions interested in mapping CSSIA cyber security courses to CNSS 4011 standards;

11. Disseminating gender equity initiatives and projects, such as the national Women in Technology Mentoring program;

12. Impacting classroom capacity in cyber security and information assurance programs through direct institutional partnerships, including enrollments of over 1,500 students in CSSIA adopted courses.

13. Extending outreach into needed underrepresented areas, including opportunities for students to attend classes and events designed to increase awareness of cyber security careers.

CSSIA is a Cisco Systems Network Academy Career Training Center. See CSSIA’s Information Page to learn about CSSIA curriculum, industry impact, faculty development, NVC members, and educational and industry links. CSSIA produces many events to serve community college ICT educators. For more information, see our newsletters, see our Student Outreach and Cyber Security Education videos, call (708) 974-5725 or email the director.