Agencies team on security ed

The Homeland Security Department and the National Science Foundation will sponsor and expand the NSF Federal Cyber Service: Scholarship for Service program.

The program seeks to increase the number of computer security professionals by funding two-year college scholarships in information assurance and computer security. Upon graduation, scholarship recipients would be required to work for a federal agency for two years.

DHS and the National Security Agency are also partnering to increase the number of universities designated as National Centers of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education.

The program, previously sponsored solely by NSA, has designated 50 universities in 26 states as centers of excellence. Designated universities can apply for scholarships and grants through the federal and Defense Department information assurance scholarship programs.

Amit Yoran, director of the National Cyber Security Division at DHS, said the two agencies hope to designate at least one university in each of the 50 states.

"This will enable critical institutional support for cybersecurity expertise to state and local governments as well as to corporate America," Yoran said.