CAE Program Development Workshop at Highline Community College

Highline Community College kindly hosted this event where attendees came from all across the nation. Because it was held the day after the Cyber Range Workshop, many of the representatives from WA State colleges were able to stay for an extra day and learn about the CAE accreditation process.

The guidelines and metrics for this process are governed by the NSA (National Security Agency). There are three types of CAE designations that schools could pursue. Once their cybersecurity program has attained this accreditation, schools are eligible to compete for grants like Department of Defense Cybersecurity Scholarship Program (DoD CySP) and more.

Whatcom Community College stands out as a success story. Details can be read in this impact report. It shows the astounding academic and economic impact that resulted after WCC earned the CAE-CD designation. Both NCyTE (National Cybersecurity Training & Education Center) and the WA State Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (CCoE) are hosted at Whatcom Community College campus. The CAE training day on February 9th included presentations from NCyTE and the WA CCoE helped facilitate the event.

The rigorous CAE accreditation process was clarified and made to feel more attainable. The college reps in attendance are in a range of places in their journey. Some are just beginning to learn about the requirements, others have already attained a CAE designation and seek to acquire more. Schools were able to compare notes, ask each other questions, get solutions to problems, and have their concerns addressed.

Many resources are available to help colleges elevate their curriculum to the level required for CAE accreditation. These resources include formal mentorship, written guidance, and videos. Please see the NCyTE website to find out how your institution could attain this valuable and prestigious designation. It's not just available to 4-year colleges! It's also open to 2-year, technical, and certificate programs as well.