For its outstanding community outreach work in 2024, IUP’s Institute for Cybersecurity was awarded eighth place in the national CAE-CD Community Outreach Competition Initiative. The CAE community consists of about 500 institutions of higher education from across the nation.
IUP has been designated a Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (CAE-CD) since 2002. All institutions given this prestigious designation must regularly and consistently engage in activities such as “experiential learning, local/regional cyber exercises and competition, and outreach to community colleges and high schools,” among many others.
The CAE-CD Outreach Competition was established to “encourage and promote cybersecurity awareness and online safety practices by taking advantage of the October Cybersecurity Awareness Month and all throughout the year,” and to “showcase the CAEs who are doing above and beyond their call for duty by recognizing the outstanding outreach work performed.”
Waleed Farag, director of the IUP Institute for Cybersecurity and the person responsible for IUP’s CAE designation, said, “It takes a considerable amount of teamwork and effort to not only maintain our CAE-CD designation, but to actively engage with students, K-12 institutions, and the community. I am honored that our efforts have been recognized by the CAE committee, and I look forward to continuing to provide opportunities to expand cybersecurity awareness and education in our area.”
IUP’s outreach efforts include cybersecurity summer camps, annual community events, faculty development workshops, and numerous student-focused events, including many others. For details on activities, grants, and programs, please visit the IUP Institute for Cybersecurity website, and contact Waleed Farag at farag@iup.edu with questions.