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Home / Academics / Academic Majors / Cyber Systems

Cyber Systems

Cyber Systems majors acquire a strong technical computing foundation with a balanced managerial cyber emphasis further enhanced by interdisciplinary studies in order to meet the cyber needs of the Coast Guard and the United States. Cyber Systems majors focus on developing and applying cutting-edge cyber technologies in the operational domain in order to:

  • Conduct and enable Coast Guard missions
  • Defend Coast Guard and governmental cyber systems
  • Protect critical national infrastructure from cyber attacks
  • Manage information technology for the Coast Guard
  • Design, develop and support software and secure computer networks

National Security Agency and Department of Homeland Security

The program of study for the Bachelor of Science degree in Cyber Systems is designed around criteria defined by the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security for designation as a Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education (NSA/DHS CAE CDE). The Academy has been assigned to Cycle 11 with an anticipated designation during the summer of 2023.

Cyber Systems Accreditation

The Cyber Systems major was offered for the first time to the Academy class matriculating in 2018. Now that these officers have graduated in 2022, the Academy has sought accreditation from ABET, the premier U.S. computing accreditation agency, under the Cybersecurity criteria, with the visit scheduled for the fall of 2022 and a decision announced in the summer of 2023. Once earned, accreditation is awarded retroactively to graduates.

Resources

Cyber Systems majors work with state-of-the-art computing hardware and software in top-of-the-line facilities with tremendous learning opportunities that include:

  • State of the art cyber lab and active learning classroom (2018)
  • Independent research and development enclave with dedicated servers and Internet access that allows for learning and research in such areas as:
    • Reverse engineering
    • Malware analysis
    • Network attack and defense
    • Industrial control systems
  • Capstone projects in cyber security, cyber-physical systems, cyber risk management, geo-spatial intelligence, space, secure software development, and computer and network security
  • Partnership with the Coast Guard Research and Development Center, located in New London, Connecticut

Opportunities

Cadets have the following additional opportunities to develop cyber skills.

  • Interdisciplinary Capstone Research experiences often jointly supported by Engineering, Computing, Science, Math, Humanities, Management, or Professional faculty, Coast Guard units, the Department of Homeland Security, and other government entities
  • Incredible 1/c (senior) summer internships at locations such as the Coast Guard Cyber Command (CGCYBER), U.S. Cyber Command (USCYBER), the National Security Agency (NSA), federally funded national labs (ex: MIT Lincoln Labs or Idaho National Labs), or commercial organizations, most requiring a security clearance
  • Cyber Team – a competition-based club focused on all aspects of cyber security, open to all cadets
  • Cyber Range – Mandatory junior summer experience for all cadets, to learn the key concepts and principles of cybersecurity
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FACTS AND FIGURES
$ 0
Median salary for a Cybersecurity Analyst
$ 0
Average salary of a CISSP
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Cybersecurity-related Job Openings in the USA
0 %
Projected job growth for Information Security Analysts from 2020 to 2030

Contact Information

School of Engineering and Cyber Systems
Dr. Paul Crilly
Program Chair
Paul.B.Crilly@uscga.edu
(860) 701-6184
Apply Now

Sponsor Family Application

Thank you for submitting your application to be part of the Sponsor Family Program. Your application will be processed in the upcoming week. Coast Guard Academy’s policy on background screening now requires all adults (everyone 18 and older living in the home) who volunteer to mentor, teach, coach or sponsor cadets, whether on or off Coast Guard Academy grounds, to be screened every 5 years. They are required to provide personal information (name, birth date and social security number) for the purpose of conducting a criminal background check.

The Security Officer at the Coast Guard Academy, CWO2 Gina Polkowski, is overseeing this process. Her email is: Gina.M.Polkowski@uscg.mil.

Sponsor Family designations fall into several different categories. Below are the guidelines to help you determine how best to meet the background screening requirement:

  1. If you are Coast Guard active duty you do not need to apply for an additional Background Check. You will be vetted through the Coast Guard system by CWO2 Polkowski.
  2. If you are a Civilian working for the Coast Guard you do not need to apply for an additional Background Check. You will be vetted through the Coast Guard system by CWO2 Polkowski.
  3. If you are non-Coast Guard Active Duty, you are required to provide proof of your current security clearance or National Agency Check that is to be emailed by your Command Security Officer (CSO)/ Security Office to CWO2 Polkowski at  Gina.M.Polkowski@uscg.mil.
  4. If you are non-Coast Guard civilian who has a current security clearance or National Agency check, you are required to provide proof of your current security clearance or National Agency Check that is to be emailed by your Command Security Officer (CSO)/ Security Office to CWO2 Polkowski at  Gina.M.Polkowski@uscg.mil.
  5. All civilians in the families who are 18 years or older and do not have a security clearance or a National Agency Check are required to be vetted through Mind Your Business, the third party vendor hired by the Coast Guard Academy for the vetting process.

After you complete your application, please e-mail the Sponsor Family Program Coordinator at CadetFamilySponsorProgram@uscga.edu. In your e-mail, you must include the e-mail address and phone number of every adult living in the home. The Sponsor Family Coordinator will then initiate the background check process and you will receive an email with further instructions.

Important things to note:

There is a Sponsor Family Training that is a one-hour training which we ask sponsors to attend once every four years. This training is designed to give you an overview of the program, what is expected of you as a sponsor, and what you can expect from your cadets. This training will also help familiarize you with the cadet regulations onboard CGA. You will be notified via e-mail once the training is scheduled.

The matching process of swabs to families will occur during July and August. Please bear with us and remain flexible through this process. There will be a meet and greet scheduled on Campus, typically in late August. This will give families an opportunity to formally meet their cadet if they have not already done so. Details on this will also be via email.

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