Eastern Michigan University’s Information Assurance Student Association ranks No. 1 in Michigan and No. 18 nationally by Cyber Power Rankings

Jumping up 10 spots nationally from fall 2022

YPSILANTI – Eastern Michigan University’s Information Assurance Student Association (IASA) was ranked No. 1 in Michigan and No. 18 nationally. Rankings given by Cyber Power represent the ability of students to perform real-world cybersecurity tasks on a national level.

According to the Cyber Skyline website, more than 10,000 students from more than 500 colleges & universities and 100 high schools across the US participate in the National Cyber League (NCL) competitions yearly. To enhance their cybersecurity knowledge and skills, IASA challenges its members to compete as a team and individually in the NCL Cyber Skyline competitions. Cyber Skyline ranks schools based on their top team performance, their top student's performance, and the aggregate individual performance of their students. 

“This is another example that demonstrates recognition of our hard-working, ambitious and committed students as well as our high-quality program in cybersecurity,” said Mohamad Qatu, dean of the GameAbove College of Engineering and Technology. 

“Our reputable cybersecurity program is ABET-accredited, and our graduates are making significant contributions and assuming excellent jobs in industry, government, and academic institutions,” he added. 

The NCL Games challenge students to identify hackers from forensic data, audit vulnerable websites, recover from ransomware attacks, and more. The IASA club has participated in the NCL for the past year to build their confidence and apply their studies to solve real-world problems. The team has been awarded the diamond medal for the past two semesters.

Logan Severance is a member of the IASA club and a senior studying information assurance and cyber defense. Severance started participating in the NCL challenges during high school. Since then, he’s learned much from competing and participating in the challenges. 

“Participating in NCL taught me to think critically about problems and to think outside the box. It has also taught me to pay attention to the small details while not losing sight of the big picture. Many of the challenges cannot be solved if you look at the problem and take it at its face value,” Severance said. 

As a designated National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense, EMU’s cybersecurity program has been established to demonstrate the proper standards for cybersecurity competency, provide quality courses of distinction that meet the requirements of employers in the government and industry and produce exceptional graduates who are employed by companies such as Google, Amazon, and the NSA. 

To learn more about the programs within EMU’s School of Information Security and Applied Computing, visit the website.  

About the GameAbove College of Engineering and Technology

The GameAbove College of Engineering and Technology provides world-class experiences in engineering, technology, cybersecurity, autonomous vehicles, drone technology, gaming, aviation, and other areas of study in high-demand career fields. It is within the college’s mission to cultivate individuals' intellectual and personal growth through research-informed education and diverse programs that emphasize the practical application of scientific knowledge. For more information about the GameAbove College of Engineering and Technology, visit the college’s website. 

About Eastern Michigan University

Founded in 1849, Eastern is the second oldest public university in Michigan. It currently serves more than 14,000 students pursuing undergraduate, graduate, specialist, doctoral and certificate degrees in the arts, sciences and professions. In all, more than 300 majors, minors and concentrations are delivered through the University's Colleges of Arts and Sciences; Business; Education; Engineering and Technology; Health and Human Services; and its graduate school. National publications regularly recognize EMU for its excellence, diversity, and commitment to applied education. Visit the University’s rankings and points of pride websites to learn more. For more information about Eastern Michigan University, visit the University's website. To stay up to date on University news, activities and announcements, visit EMU Today.