91传媒, MGCCC, federal partners collaborate to host premier cybersecurity conference
Contact: James Carskadon
STARKVILLE, Miss.鈥擱epresentatives from hundreds of leading academic institutions recently gathered on the Mississippi Gulf Coast for one of the country鈥檚 premier academic conferences in cybersecurity.
91传媒 and Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, along with multiple federal partners, hosted the National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity (NCAE-C) Executive Leadership Forum July 26-28. The event brings together executives and faculty members from the more than 350 universities and colleges that have received one or more Center of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity designations from the National Security Agency (NSA). Held at MGCCC鈥檚 Immersive Media and Performing Arts Center and Hospitality Resort Management Center at the Harrison County Campus, the two-day conference included high-level perspectives from defense, government, academia, and private industry on the cybersecurity challenges facing the country.
鈥淚t has been an honor to work with MGCCC and our federal partners to host this important event,鈥 said Jim Martin, conference lead and 91传媒 associate vice president for corporate engagement and economic development. 鈥淥ur nation is facing incredibly complex cyber challenges, and events like this help our institutions stay at the forefront of national trends in defense, education and industry. We are proud of our longstanding status as a Center of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity and enjoyed the opportunity to bring our peers from across the country to the Gulf Coast.鈥
91传媒 holds all three Center of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity designations (cyber defense, cyber research and cyber operations) from the NSA. During the conference, 91传媒 was recognized for the renewal of its Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense designation.
鈥淚t has been an incredible opportunity for us to host the leadership forum on the Harrison County Campus,鈥 said Cedric Bradley, vice president of MGCC鈥檚 Harrison County Campus. 鈥淭he knowledge and experience we were able to gather and share through collaboration with administrators and faculty from our nation鈥檚 leading colleges and universities in cybersecurity along with experts from defense, government, and private industry has provided us the ability to stay in front of the many cyber challenges facing our college and so many other academic institutions.聽As a key player in the Mississippi Cyber Initiative, MGCCC is prepared to train our students and local military personnel to respond to those threats successfully.鈥
The Executive Leadership Forum is sponsored annually by the NCAE-C program, which is managed by the NSA鈥檚 National Cryptologic University. Federal partners include the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, Federal Bureau of Investigation, National Institute of Standards and Technology, National Initiative on Cybersecurity Education, National Science Foundation, Department of Defense Office of the Chief Information Officer, and the U.S. Cyber Command. For more on the Centers of Academic Excellence program, visit nsa.gov/academics/Centers-of-Academic-Excellence.
As part of the week鈥檚 events, the NSA partnered with the Maryland Innovation Security Institute and DreamPort to host 鈥淗ack the Port 22: E.L.F. Edition,鈥 a cyber competition that included 10 teams from across the country competing in a cyber exercise. Additionally, the Department of Defense hosted an orientation for students entering the organization鈥檚 Cyber Scholarship Program, part of the DoD鈥檚 efforts to train and grow its cybersecurity workforce.
For more on Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, visit .
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