Lord Fairfax Community College’s (LFCC) becoming Laurel Ridge Community College’s  CYBER program has been designated as a center of academic excellence in cyber defense.

According to an email from Sally Voth LFCC’s Public Relations Coordinator the school is just one of 14 community colleges nationwide to be selected to join the United States Cyber Command’s (CYBERCOM) Academic Engagement Network (AEN).

The network’s duties includes defending and protecting the United States against cyberattacks.

A total of 92 colleges and universities are part of the network whose mission it is to support and enhance CYBERCOM’s efforts when it comes to the future workforce, applied cyber research, applied analytics and strategic issues.

Part of the mission of the AEN is to create a qualified pool of cybersecurity professionals.

With inclusion in the program LFCC’s students will have access to information and experience only a handful of students can take advantage of.

LFCC joins the likes of the U.S. Air Force, Coast Guard and Naval Academies.

The network also includes the U.S. Army War College, West Point, Virginia Military Institute, Virginia Tech along with Marshall University.

The Universities of Cincinnati, Louisville, California, Santa Cruz, Mississippi State University, DePaul University are also apart of the network.

Learn more about LFCC’s technology program here.

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