NSA offers full scholarship at NU

By Kara Swarbrick
Norwich Guidon Staff Writer

For Natalie Deslandes, a full scholarship, including extras and a $10,000 stipend to cover room and board costs, could be on the horizon.

As one of the National Security Agency's (NSA) Centers of Excellence in Information Assurance Education (CAE/IAE), Norwich has received a scholarship from the Department of Defense (DoD) to offer to students who major in areas which fall within one of the "scientific, technical or managerial disciplines related to computer and network security, with a concentration in Information Assurance (IA)," says the Scholarship and Vacancy Announcement, the paperwork applicants are required to fill out in order to apply for the scholarship.

"Information Assurance (IA) concerns information operations that protect and defend information and information systems by ensuring availability, integrity, authentication, confidentiality, and non-repudiation," says the NSA website (www.nsa.gov/isso/programs/nietp/index.htm).

Out of all of the students on campus, only a few qualified.

"We have eight qualified students," said Col. Thomas H. Aldrich, U.S. Army (ret.), manager of the Norwich Information Assurance Education and Training Program.

Deslandes, 20, a sophomore electrical engineering major from Swanton, Vt., admits to being attracted first by the scholarship money.

"The scholarship got me more interested in what was offered," said Deslandes. "Learning more about what the NSA and the different agencies have to offer has gotten me more interested in what the government has."

To meet the minimum eligibility requirements, a student must be 18-years-old or older, be a citizen of the United States at the time of application, be enrolled in one of the CAE/IAE elected schools, have completed at least the first two years of undergraduate studies, and be pursuing a course of study in one of the accepted areas, among other things, according to the Scholarship and Vacancy Announcement.

"The NSA's Deputy Director for Information Systems Security created the National INFOSEC Education and Training Program (NIETP)," says the NSA website. " This action recognizes that the NSA needs to play a leadership role in security education and responds to a need expressed by the National Security Telecommunications and Information Systems Security Committee."

"The need has always been there, it's just that we haven't recognized it," said Aldrich.

The scholarship program is "an outreach effort designed and operated by the National Security Agency," according to the NSA website.

"[The program's] mission is to be a leading advocate for improving national security Information Systems Security (INFOSEC) education and training nationwide," says the NSA website. "The program goal is to reduce vulnerability in our National Information Infrastructure by promoting higher education in information assurance, and producing a growing number of professionals with IA expertise in various disciplines."

The Announcement allows students to apply for both the Information Assurance Scholarship Program and the Student Career Experience Program (SCEP), according to the "Solicitation for Proposals" in the DoD website (www.C3i.osd.mil/iasp/GrantSolicitation.htm).

"On successful completion of both academic degree and internship requirements, the Student Trainees (as the recipients are called) will be non-competitively converted to permanent, full-time status as federal employees without further competition," says the DoD website.

"Those individuals who are given a scholarship will go to work somewhere within the Department of Defense," said Aldrich. "They're going to become civilians within their organizations, but will have access to some very sensitive information, especially if they go to work for one of the agencies [Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), National Security Agency (NSA), Defense Intelligence Agency]."

The process of receiving this scholarship is not without its hardships.

"It's a long process, because you have to have a nice essay, you have to have a security check done, you have to have all this information that reaches back to when you were sixteen," said Deslandes.

"[The applicants] are going to have to go through the complete security background investigation, which is going to be a very extensive background investigation," said Aldrich. "Then, if they are accepted and they go to work for one of the agencies, they're going to end up having to take an analysis test or could be subject to a polygraph test, which is standard for anyone going into an agency."

Applicants also have to be willing to accept "drug tests or other suitability processing" and are "required to sign an agreement stating that they will accept assignments requiring travel or change of duty stations as interns or employees," according to the "Solicitation for Proposals" in the DoD website.

Because of the sensitive information the recipients will be exposed to, "a security clearance is part of being able to get the scholarship," said Aldrich.

Once the scholarship is received, a student is also required to maintain a 2.5 out of a 4.0 GPA.

There has also been talk of a new major, information assurance, being added to the curriculum. The need for information assurance and security of information on the Internet is rising, and the skills learned in this kind of study would enable a student "to then go out into the world with the skills to protect the American way of life," according to Aldrich.

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