An NSA Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense
The Center for Applied Cyber Education (CACE) at Georgia Southern is a nationally recognized hub for interdisciplinary cybersecurity education and training. As a designated NSA Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense, CACE prepares students for today’s evolving cyber workforce through hands-on learning, cutting-edge research, and strong industry and government partnerships.
Resources
Explore a comprehensive collection of cybersecurity resources available through Georgia Southern University and trusted national organizations. This section connects you to:
- University sites and services focused on information technology and information security
- Library guides and tools specific to the Armstrong Campus
- National and government cybersecurity organizations offering best practices, policy updates, and threat intelligence
- Training and activity resources including competitions, honor societies, and free online courses
Whether you’re a student preparing for a cyber career or a professional seeking credible information, these resources support your growth in the ever-evolving cybersecurity landscape.
Georgia Southern Sites
Information Technology Services/ Information Security
Armstrong Campus Sites
National Cybersecurity Education Sites
National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE)
Government Sites
- CERT – the Computer Emergency Response Team of the Software Engineer Institute (SEI)
of Carnegie-Mellon University - National Institute of Standards (NIST):The Security Resource Center of the Computer Security Division
- U.S Department of Justice (DOJ)The Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section
- U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Cyber Crime Site
- Infragard – FBI program promoting partnership between the FBI and the private sector to
promote information sharing regarding threats to infrastructure and cyber assets - U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Cybersecurity
Information Security Sites
- STAYSAFEONLINE.org of the National Cyber Security Alliance
- The Disaster Recovery Journal
- The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC)
- SearchSecurity.com, a unit of TechTarget.com
- The Current Threat Center from Trellix.com
- SafeKids.com: Kids Rules for Online Safety
- From the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), a page on kids and socializing online
Cybersecurity students need various other training / activities beyond the classroom. Here are some of the resources and activities
Georgia Southern University is a member of the Order of the Sword and Shield National Honor Society, the largest and most respected organization representing the Homeland Security, Intelligence, Emergency Management, Cyber and Information Security, and all Protective Security disciplines. We inducted our first cohort of student honorees in April 2021, and will induct another cohort in April 2023.
Career information is available to our students at the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Careers and Studies (NICCS).
Additional training is available at the SANS Cyber Aces Free Cybersecurity Training Course.
Although some of the Interactives from the National Support Center for Systems Security and Information Assurance (CSSIA) are used in class, the full repertoire of Interactives for Training is available to our students for practice.
Students are encouraged to participate in the National Cyber League. They did in Spring 2022 and they will in Fall 2023.
An NSA Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense
On June 21, 2023, Georgia Southern University was officially re-designated as a National Security Agency (NSA) Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (CAE-CD). This recognition reflects the university’s continued leadership and commitment to advancing cybersecurity education, outreach, and workforce development.
The designation is valid through the 2028 academic year, reinforcing Georgia Southern’s role in preparing students to meet national cybersecurity needs through interdisciplinary, high-impact learning experiences.
In December 2015 , Armstrong State University was designated as a National Security Agency/Department of Homeland Security Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education.
This was followed in September 2017 with the Department of Defense Cyber Crime Center (DC3) designating CACE as a Center of Digital Forensics Academic Excellence.
On January 5, 2017, it was announced by the University System of Georgia’s Board of Regents that Armstrong State University in Savannah and Georgia Southern University in Statesboro would be consolidated into one university, Georgia Southern University, effective January 1, 2018. Immediately after the consolidation, Georgia Southern submitted the appropriate documentation to have Armstrong’s NSA-CAE / CDE transferred to Georgia Southern and after a review by the CAE Office, this was approved in March 2018.
On June 21, 2023, it was announced that after an over one-year long effort, Georgia Southern was re-designated as an NSA CAE-CD (Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense).
We are proud of our redesignation and it not only shows a commitment to continuing our efforts in Cybersecurity Education, Outreach, and Service to maintain our designation. The designation is now valid through the 2028 academic year, and the certificate will be presented to Georgia Southern at a later date.
Georgia Southern’s Center for Applied Cyber Education (CACE) is an interdisciplinary center committed to being a leader in promoting cybersecurity education, developing partnerships, educating and training the cyber-workforce, and engaging in collaborative research with industry, government, and academia.
- CACE will expand our visibility and profile as the leader in cyber education
- CACE will engage in collaborative research to address cyber security needs
- CACE will collaborate with the academic departments and support the development of strong undergraduate and graduate cyber programs.
- CACE will partner with government and industry to address cyber-workforce education and training
- CACE will establish and strengthen community educational partnerships.
- CACE will advocate for and procure financial resources to support our initiatives.
Georgia Southern University’s Center for Applied Cyber Education (CACE) is associated with its Department of Information Technology in the Allen E. Paulson College of Engineering and Computing. Consequently, the Department of IT’s Professional Advisory Committee (PAC) serves as the industrial advisory board for Information Technology and all its associated disciplines, including Cybersecurity.
On this page you will find a file listing the PAC members as well as minutes of the last two meetings of the PAC.
Connect With CACE
Primary point of contact here, but mostly move to Contact Us page.
Meet Our Team and Alternate PoC go to anchors on the same page.