Information Assurance and Higher Education

A variety of academic efforts are underway to secure cyberspace. The National Science Foundation has instituted a Cyber Trust program that supports research and education activities that will lead to trustworthy computing systems. A workshop organized by the Computer Research Association identified "Grand Research Challenges in Information Security and Assurance." Fifty colleges and universities have been designated as Centers of Academic Excellence and Information Assurance to help faculty develop expertise in information security and to educate a future workforce of information assurance professionals. The EDUCAUSE/Internet2 Computer and Network Security Task Force has organized and galvanized higher education to improve the security of its computer networks. This panel will explore current and emerging issues for higher education, as well as the public policy implications of academia's involvement in addressing a critical, national priority.