OSU to offer highest level of computer security training

Thursday, June 23, 2005

Oklahoma State University officials recently traveled to Atlanta to formally receive the documents that designate the university as a National Center for Academic Excellence in Information Assurance.

On a practical basis, that means OSU will soon be the only public institution in Oklahoma offering graduate students a certificate in computer security. The graduate certificate and five other federally designated certifications will be offered at OSU, said Dr. Mark Weiser, director of the Center for Telecommunications and Network Security at OSU.

“As the only public institution in Oklahoma to hold the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security Information Assurance designation, we’re glad to be among the first to serve as a model for this higher level of training,” Weiser said.

Government and corporate entities alike increasingly require all their staff to be aware of the many ways computer security is breached and how they can help mitigate those problems. Weiser said issues such as password and physical security, social engineering and cautious use of internet resources are among the training concerns.

“Rather than having companies provide this training, recruiters will be able to know that our graduates already have that knowledge,” said Dr. Greg Mosier, interim dean at the Spears School of Business.

Weiser and CTANS are working with the Department of Management Science and Information Systems in the Spears School of Business to provide all the university’s business school graduates with computer security awareness training that exceeds most current state and corporate requirements.

Mosier and Weiser traveled to Atlanta recently to receive the formal documents naming OSU among the federally designated National Centers of Excellence in Information Assurance Education for 2005-08. OSU is among a handful of schools in the country that offer all five federal certifications available, including information assurance professional, designated approving authority, system administration in information systems security, information systems security officer, and system certifier. 

“Another advantage we have over the few other schools that have all the federal certifications is that we are very interdisciplinary, so those in various majors have more options for earning the certification(s) they seek,” Weiser said.  

The Department of Homeland Security and the National Security Agency will meet this fall with the presidents of all the National Centers of Academic Excellence. Additionally, OSU System CEO and President David J. Schmidly and Weiser will work with a liaison from DHS or NSA to promote an ongoing dialogue and identify areas of mutual interest between the university and the government that can benefit the nation.   

Weiser said OSU is also planning an Oklahoma City symposium for early November, which will include speakers from the Department of Defense and the National Security Agency. For more information about the certificates offered at OSU, phone 405-744-3000.