CANTON — SUNY Canton's thriving four-year Cybersecurity Program has reached the next stage in its evolution with a new designation from the U.S. Government.

The college has received notification that the program has been selected for the prestigious National Security Agency (NSA) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Program of Study Validation. According to NSA Program Manager Karen Leuschner, SUNY Canton's ability to meet the demands of program validation will help serve the Nation when contributing to the protection of the national information infrastructure.

"A highly skilled cybersecurity workforce is a strategic national security advantage," Leuschner said. "The United States Government will continue to invest in and enhance programs that build the domestic talent pipeline, from primary through postsecondary education."

Program validation was overseen by SUNY Canton's new School of Science, Health and Criminal Justice Assistant Dean Elizabeth A. Brown, who was recently promoted from her role as the director of the college's Center for Criminal Justice, Intelligence and Cybersecurity (CJIC).