Iowa State University Information Assurance Center
Created in 2000 as a multidisciplinary center, the Information Assurance Center (IAC) has strived to become a nationally recognized authority in information assurance research, teaching, and outreach. The center has faculty representing several departments across campus including: Electrical and Computer Engineering; Mathematics; Political Science; Management Information Systems; and Computer Science. By bringing together faculty members from these disciplines, Iowa State will be able to respond to the needs of students and the priorities of funding agencies. The center is designated as a charter Center of Excellence in Information Assurance by the National Security Agency. Given the substantial local and national attention paid to the area of cyber security, we are well positioned to grow the center. This document outlines a set of goals and action items designed to capitalize on the available opportunities and the enhanced awareness of cyber security issues facing our nation and the world. We believe that we are in a good position to deliver on our mission to become a recognized national center of excellence in cyber security and information assurance.
IAC Vision:
The Information Assurance Center at Iowa State University will be a national leader in cybersecurity research, education, training, and outreach.
IAC Mission:
The mission of the IAC is to lead research initiatives of national importance and provide comprehensive education, training, and outreach programs through 1) a comprehensive research portfolio including both fundamental and applied research; 2) security education and training; 3) educational pathways to grow the cyber workforce; 4) security literacy and outreach to all citizens; and 5) partnerships with government, industry and academia.
What is Information Assurance?
Information assurance (IA, InfAs) is the practice of managing information-related risks. More specifically, IA practitioners seek to protect and defend information and information systems by ensuring confidentiality, integrity, authentication, availability, and non-repudiation. These goals are relevant whether the information are in storage, processing, or transit, and whether threatened by malice or accident. In other words, IA is the process of ensuring that authorized users have access to authorized information at the authorized time.