Naval Academy's cybersecurity program receives accreditation

The U.S. Naval Academy's cyber operations program has been formally accredited.

The academy said Friday the program was accredited recently by ABET, a leading nonprofit accrediting agency. Three other universities also were accredited under the new cybersecurity criteria: the U.S. Air Force Academy, Towson University and Southeast Missouri State University.

A cyber operations major was established in 2013 at the academy. The academy also requires all midshipmen to take a cyber course in both their freshmen and junior years — the first undergraduate school to have mandatory cyber classes. There were 27 midshipmen who majored in cyber operations in the class of 2016. That has grown to 110 in the class of 2021.

The academy is building a $106 million cybersecurity building.