Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico (PUPR) is looking forward to become the first Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education (CAE/IAE) in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean, designated by the National Security Agency (NSA) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS). PUPR is in a strategic position in the Caribbean where there is no designated institution close by. This is favorable for the designation as a CAE/IAE. The Institution also counts with excellent resources to support the initiatives of increasing National Defense, as our highly skilled faculty and students are mostly bilingual American citizens.

As of 2008 a total of 94 colleges and universities were designated and re-designated across the US and the District of Columbia and have been granted the special distinction from NSA and DHS as CAE/IAE. The Graduate Certificate in Information Assurance and Security (GCIAS) is under review by the Council of Higher Education of Puerto Rico. This certificate brings us one step further towards this designation by strengthening our curriculum for the Information Technology Management and Information Assurance (ITMIA) specialization in our Master in Computer Science programs, and giving other graduate students the opportunity to specialize and certify in such a demanding area of great concern, as is Information Assurance and Security (IAS).

While working our way towards the CAE/IAE designation we have:

1. Established the wireless Information Assurance Laboratory to enhance the ITMIA track in the MS CS, MCS, and the GCIAS. This lab is funded by a DoD grant of $196,800 which started in September 2007.

2. Utilized our high-tech equipment (such as our PC Clusters) to enhance IA education. We received a grant from the NSF totaling $160,000 in August 2007 for the purchase of a 256 processor PC Cluster. During the years 2004 and 2005 we also acquired two PC Clusters of 64 processors each from the DoD. These clusters help us work on security problems and applications, such as cryptanalysis. These powerful machines can speed up solutions that are otherwise prohibitive in uni-processor systems.

3. Established the Center of Information Assurance for Research and Education (CIARE) in the Hato Rey campus for research & education development in Information Assurance and Security.

We will seek more opportunities for students studying in the area of Information Assurance, helping them to continue graduate studies through grants offered by the DoD Information Assurance Scholarship Program and the Federal Cyber Service Scholarship for Service (SFS) Program.

Some of the benefits of the CAE/IAE designation are:

• The Institution can compete for infrastructure grants to provide an exceptional educational experience with a great professional value in the IA discipline.

• Be recognized as the first institution in Puerto Rico to be designated as a CAE/IAE.

• This designation requires that the President of the United States send the Governor of Puerto Rico a certification that should be handed to the president of PUPR designating the Institution as a CAE/IAE at a National level.

• PUPR will be one of the first 100 institutions to have been designated. This is a special recognition.

• This designation increases collaboration opportunities between designated and aspiring institutions at local and national levels. This includes internships, faculty and student exchange, research, and publications, among other activities.

• PUPR will be the first and only academic institution in Puerto Rico authorized to use the Committee on National Security Systems (CNSS) logo and the NSA designation.

• With this designation as a CAE/IAE PUPR can obtain scholarships that can help outstanding students to pursue graduate studies in IA, enabling them to work with the Federal Government or other federal institutions and agencies.

• PUPR can compete and benefit from proposal calls (RFP) that are specifically for designated CAE/IAE institutions. These proposals offer millions of dollars from the DoD, NSF, NSA and “Homeland Security”, among others, for research and infrastructure.

• Funds for faculty and student research.
  

• Student scholarships offered under the NSF's Scholarship For Service (SFS) program. The SFS scholarship offers the following:

• 2-year scholarship, includes 8K stipend (12K for graduate students), plus tuition and nominal room and board expenses.

• Paid summer internship in a federal agency.

• Placement in federal government at the end of the scholarship period..

• In return for the scholarship, students need to:

  • Undertake a program of study that specializes in Information Assurance.

  • Agree to work after graduation for up to two years as an information assurance specialist in the Federal Cyber Service within the Federal Executive Branch at a Federal Agency, Independent Agency, Government Corporation, Commission, or Quasi-Official Agency, or at a National Laboratory that signs a memorandum of understanding setting forth the parameters for participation.

  • See http://www.firstgov.gov/Agencies/Federal/Executive.shtml for a list of Federal Executive Branch organizations.

  • See http://www.energy.gov/engine/content.do?BT_CODE=OF_NLTC for a list of National Laboratories.

  • Undertake one (paid) summer internship in a similar federal agency as listed above.