Massry School of Business Lauded as National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense
ALBANY, N.Y. (July 8, 2025) — The University at Albany’s Massry School of Business has been designated as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (CAE-CD) by the National Security Agency (NSA) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The new designation is for Massry’s Master of Science in Digital Forensics and Cybersecurity program.
This honor, awarded through the NSA’s National Information Assurance Education & Training Program, recognizes academic excellence and institutional commitment to preparing the next generation of cyber defense professionals.
Digital Forensics at UAlbany
The School of Business launched the M.S. in Digital Forensics and Cybersecurity, a 36-credit 12-month program, in fall 2020. The program builds upon the bachelor’s degree program in digital forensics, which became New York’s first four-year digital forensics program in 2013.
The CAE-CD designation underscores the University’s leadership in developing academic programs directly aligned with national cybersecurity workforce needs, including digital forensics, cyber operations and cybersecurity management.
“Cybersecurity is a complex field, and students need to be trained rigorously in both fundamental concepts as well as their applications to be effective in their roles,” said Professor Sanjay Goel, chair of Information Security and Digital Forensics. “Our program is comprehensive and rigorous — this designation demonstrates our dedication to producing cyber professionals skilled in forensics, incident response and risk management. We’re truly honored that our graduate program has earned CAE CDE status.”
Students can choose one of three specialized M.S. tracks in the program: Digital Forensics, Cybersecurity or Cyber Operations. Recent graduates of the M.S. program are now employed in roles such as IT security analysts, forensic investigators, SOC specialists and cyber threat hunters across public, private and governmental sectors.
The University has also developed several cutting-edge labs to examine issues in cybersecurity, including the SCADA Security Lab, the Digital Forensics Lab and Cyber Operations Lab, which to provide hands-on training across different facets of cybersecurity.
Massry also engages students in hands-on cybersecurity research through the Center for Forensics Analysis of Complex Energy and Transportation Systems and through the InSURE program where students work on cybersecurity research projects with National Labs.
“The Massry School of Business continues to lead with innovative cyber education — this designation strengthens our capacity to train a cyber-savvy workforce and supports national security mission needs,” said Paquita Davis-Friday, dean of the Massry School of Business. “This designation strengthens strategic partnerships with federal agencies, industry leaders and law enforcement while expanding opportunities for students to engage in DoD/DHS programs and internships.”
NSA Designation
Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense are awarded to institutions certified for excellence in cybersecurity education at the associate, bachelor’s and graduate levels. Institutions must demonstrate that they engage in significant community involvement, academic activities and institutional practices in cybersecurity and that the institution has one or more programs of study under consideration meeting the requirements set forth by NSA.
UAlbany has been designated as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense through 2028. The University has also been recognized as a Center for Academic Excellence - Research (CAE-R) through 2029.
The CAE-R designation is awarded to DoD schools, PhD producing military academies or regionally accredited, degree granting four-year institutions rated by the Carnegie Foundation Basic Classification system as either a Doctoral University - Highest Research Activity; Doctoral University - Higher Research Activity; or Doctoral University - Moderate Research Activity.
Commitment to Diversity in Education
The Massry School of Business has also been twice recognized by Insight Into Academia (formerly Insight Into Diversity) for its ongoing commitment to leadership and social mobility. In 2024, the school was recognized with an Inspiring Programs in Business Award for its EY Leadership Education in Accounting and Diversity Program. And in 2025, UAlbany was recognized by Insight Into Academia with its Inspiring Programs in Business Award for its EY Trajectory Program, which specifically provides students with semester-length internships where they learn to analyze information about security risk analysis.