CyberCenter – NSA CAE and Validation
The National Security Agency (NSA) maintains both institutional and program review processes, ensuring academic institutions are meeting critical knowledge units. The NSA Program of Study Validation reviews Walsh specific courses to ensure validated programs meet the following criteria:
- NICE Categories Mapping
- Acceptable Applied Lab Exercises
- Program of Study Program Learning Outcomes
- 22 Knowledge Units
- Course Teaching Equivalency Process
- Examples of Student Work Product
- Faculty Qualifications
- Faculty Support of Students
- Continuous Improvement Plan
- Continuous Improvement Process
- Regular Evaluation Schedule
The NSA reviews all existing NSA CAEs and Programs of Study every five-year cycle.
Walsh NSA CAE Programs of Studies include:
The following Knowledge Units are covered in Walsh BSIT validated programs:
- Foundational Knowledge Units
- Cybersecurity Foundations
- Cybersecurity Principles
- IT Systems Components
- Core Knowledge Units – Technical
- Basic Cryptography
- Basic Networking
- Basic Scripting and Programming
- Network Defense
- Operating System Concepts
- Optional Knowledge Units
- Policy, Legal, Ethics and Compliance
- Data Administration
- Database Management Systems
- Databases
- Data Structures
- Operating System Administration
- Operating Systems Hardening
- Cybersecurity Ethics
- Cyber Threats
- Cybersecurity Planning and Management
- Basic Cyber Operations
- Cyber Crime
- Privacy
- Cloud Computing
All 22 knowledge units are covered in the following classes:
- IT 402 System Analysis and Design
- IT 408 Database Design & Implementation (SQL)
- IT 417 Fundamentals of Cybersecurity
- IT 407 Server Virtualization & Performance Engineering
- IT 410 Principles of Software Engineering
- IT 412 Advanced Programming
- IT 419 Ethical Hacking Strategies and Tools
- IT 422 Advanced Team-Based Attack/Defend Techniques
Walsh is proud to be named the first NSA-CAE in Michigan. Since the initial award, Walsh has committed to updating and maintain all content and programs to the NSA standard for cybersecurity education.