FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 12, 2019
AVONDALE, ARIZONA, Dec. 12 – After more than a year of dedicated work by faculty and staff, including Tom Polliard and Glen Olson, working with Mr. Frank Grimmelmann of the Arizona Cyber Threat Response Alliance (ACTRA), we are proud to announce that Estrella Mountain Community College (EMCC) is one of four founding members of the North American Cyber Range Alliance (NACRA).
The alliance, announced to the public on Dec. 3, 2019, is designed to assist member organizations in developing or obtaining cyber range resources and to promote the use of cyber ranges in a safe, collaborative, and ethical manner.
Over the last year, the group — consisting of cybersecurity members from EMCC, Grand Canyon University, Valleywise Health, Advanced Business Learning, and others — reviewed and evaluated a number of cyber range options ranging from DIY configurations, on-premise purchased systems, and virtual connection contract services.; These evaluated systems will be made available to NACRA members as optional configurations to consider for their organizations.
It is anticipated that other MCCCD schools will become members since we share a common goal of providing training to future cyber workers while emphasizing ethical conduct. The EMCC Cybersecurity team is proud to be at the forefront of this ethical movement and its promotion through NACRA.
This announcement comes on the heels of the EMCC Cybersecurity team formally receiving its redesignation as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity – Cyber Defense Education. The redesignation, a five-year renewal, was presented at the 2019 National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education conference on Nov. 20 in Phoenix.
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Estrella Mountain Community College is one of the ten colleges in the Maricopa County Community College District, one of the largest community college districts in the nation. EMCC offers academic courses leading to associate degrees, university transfer, certificates, and short-term job training to more than 14,000 students annually. The flagship campus is located on Thomas and Dysart roads in Avondale. Classes are also offered online and at two Buckeye locations: EMCC’s Buckeye Educational Center, located in downtown Buckeye, Arizona, and at the EMCC @ West-MEC Southwest Campus at 500 N. Verrado Way.