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Figg Receives Grant from National Security Agency

Dr. William Figg and Dakota State University have received a grant from the Department of Information Assurance Scholarship Program for over $45,000.  Dr. Figg applied for the grant in January as part of a competitive process with all major universities in the nation offering security courses.  This is the second award Figg has received for grant funding from the National Security Agency (NSA.)

The National Security Agency is charged with protecting all classified and sensitive information that is stored or sent through U.S. government equipment.  The NSA conducts some of the nation’s leading research and development programs, and recruits professionals that work to make certain government systems remains impenetrable.  As the world becomes more technology oriented, the need for such professionals becomes more critical, and their work more challenging.

Dr. Figg’s classes at DSU are designed to fill the needs of information assurance agencies such as the NSA.  “This award is to continue development into bachelors and masters degrees in Digital Forensics. This will make DSU one of the few universities offering a full range of digital security programs,” said Dr. Figg.  “The South Dakota Board of Regents approved the Digital Forensic minor I developed as an addition to the Information Assurance degree programs. I plan to create an expanded lab with additional forensic equipment in addition to the academic program development.”

Dakota State University has been designated a national center of excellence in information assurance education.  The information assurance curriculum at DSU prepares graduates to protect an organization’s information assets.   Figg has been at Dakota State since 2001. He became a Certified Hacking Forensics Investigator in August, 2006.