New PSU degree program gets national certification

( At right, Dr. James Harris accepts the INFOSEC certification from CNSS. The award was presented by Ms. Joan Ruhl with the National Security Agency.)


As concerns rise about the safety of information in a world dependent upon electronic communication, a new degree program at Pittsburg State University is teaching students how to manage security issues associated with the storage and transmission of information.

PSU’s Information Assurance and Computer Security program received its first national distinction recently when it was INFOSEC (Information Systems Security) certified by the Committee on National Security Systems. The certification was made at an awards ceremony at Boston University on June 6. It makes PSU one of about 100 schools in the nation to achieve this honor.

Dr. James Harris, a professor in PSU’s Computer Science-Information Systems Department, which offers the program, said the certification is the first step in the process of becoming a Center of Excellence, a distinction the Kelce College of Business hopes to earn within the next few years.

The Information Assurance and Computer Security program was introduced at PSU in 2005. Instructors spent six months collecting data on the program before submitting it to CNSS, which then spent a year reviewing the application.

“There are hundreds of concepts and topics that have to be covered to meet the training standard for this certification,” Harris said. “The unique feature of our program is that we require several courses in accounting. We have a very strong internal auditing program, so we have built on that strength.”

Harris said the program goes far beyond technical training and teaches students that they need to manage a process that begins with policies and procedures. For more information on the Information Assurance and Computer Security Program, contact Dr. Harris at jdharris@pittstate.edu or visit www.pittstate.edu/csis.

---Pitt State---