Champlain College's Digital Forensic Programs Named 2015 SC Awards Finalist

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BURLINGTON, Vt. - Champlain College has been named a finalist in SC Magazine's 2015 Awards for exemplary professional leadership in information technology security. Champlain's Digital Forensics programs were acknowledged among the Best Higher Education Cybersecurity Programs in the Professional Award category. The winners will be announced on April 21, at the SC Magazine Awards ceremony in San Francisco, Calif.

The Professional Award category includes the best cybersecurity undergraduate or higher education programs in the U.S., based on the quality of instruction, programs and how well these prepare students for the marketplace.

"We are honored by this nomination from SC Magazine and the broad recognition it brings to our technology degree programs. Champlain's Senator Leahy Center for Digital Investigation affords students with the opportunity to apply knowledge in a real-world setting, so they can bring immediate value to future employers," said Champlain College President Donald J. Laackman.

The SC Awards, now in its 18th year, are the information security industry's most prominent recognition of cybersecurity professionals, products and services. With the SC Awards, SC Magazine recognizes the achievements of security professionals in the field, the innovations happening in the vendor and service-provider communities, and the vigilant work of government, commercial and nonprofit entities.

"From Home Depot, to JP Morgan, to Sony, cyber attackers showed new levels of sophistication and determination in their attacks in 2014," said Illena Armstrong, VP, editorial, SC Magazine. "With mounting headlines, it's more important than ever to recognize the tireless efforts of the men and women across the globe who work to combat these threats and provide cyber security to organizations large and small."

The winners of the Professional Award category are selected by an expert panel of judges and recognize the most talented information security professionals from end-user companies. Judges conduct in-depth analysis and consider many factors - such as applicable research, analyst reports and/or product reviews - to narrow down the field of hundreds of submissions to just the top three finalists.

Champlain College earned the 2013 SC Award U.S. for exemplary professional leadership in information technology security with the gold award, recognizing Champlain's professional leadership as the "Best Cyber Security Higher Education Program."

Through its on-campus, online and graduate degree programs, Champlain offers more than 35 computer forensics and digital investigation courses - more than any other college in the country, according to Jonathan T. Rajewski, director of the Senator Leahy Center for Digital Investigation (LCDI) and an assistant professor in Champlain's Division of Information Technology & Sciences. "Students can jump into digital forensic courses immediately, taking advantage of leading-edge topics, such as mobile device forensics, network forensics, file systems forensics, and many more," he noted.

The LCDI provides a high-tech educational setting and a fully equipped, secure digital forensics lab to bring professional investigators and law enforcement officers together with Champlain's computer and digital forensics students to work on gathering digital evidence from computer hard drives, smartphones and other digital media storage devices.

U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) led the effort to secure the funding for the Center and described its value at the dedication ceremony in 2011. "Champlain College is building a real-world classroom that gives students careers skills for the 21st century, gives Vermont's law enforcement agencies a revolutionary digital forensics resource, and that once again shows Champlain College's incredible ability to innovate and implement cutting-edge learning programs," Leahy said, "This is a program that already has proven itself invaluable in putting criminals behind bars. "Cyber security courses are developed and taught by experts who bring current industry best practices and techniques to the classroom. The LCDI enables students to get hands-on experience with active investigations, gaining valuable real-world experience, including developing and writing response plans.

"Learning that Champlain College is once again in the running for the best higher education program is very humbling. I hope that is recognition is a testament to all of the hard work our students do and how our graduates are performing in the professional world. I'm excited for the new opportunities this nomination creates for our students," Rajewski said.

About SC Magazine

SC Magazine provides IT security professionals with in-depth and unbiased information through timely news, comprehensive analysis, cutting-edge features, contributions from thought leaders and the best, most extensive collection of product reviews in the business. By offering a consolidated view of IT security through independent product tests and well-researched editorial content that provides the contextual backdrop for how these IT security tools will address larger demands put on businesses today, SC Magazine enables IT security pros to make the right security decisions for their companies. Besides the monthly print magazine, special Spotlight editions and daily website, the brand's portfolio includes the SC Congress and Expo series (New York, Chicago, Toronto, London), SC Awards, SC Marketscope and SC Magazine Newswire.

For more information:
Director of Public Information and News at Champlain College Stephen Mease, 802-865-6432 smease@champlain.edu


Founded in 1878, Champlain College is a small, not-for-profit, private college in Burlington, Vermont, with additional campuses in Montreal, Canada, and Dublin, Ireland. Champlain offers a traditional undergraduate experience from its beautiful campus overlooking Lake Champlain and over 90 residential undergraduate and online undergraduate and graduate degree programs and certificates. Champlain's distinctive career-driven approach to higher education embodies the notion that true learning occurs when information and experience come together to create knowledge. Champlain College is included in the Princeton Review's The Best 384 Colleges: 2019 Edition. For the fourth year in a row, Champlain was named a "Most Innovative School" in the North by U.S. News & World Report's 2019 "America's Best Colleges,” and a “Best Value School” and is ranked in the top 100 “Regional Universities of the North” and in the top 25 for “Best Undergraduate Teaching.” Champlain is also featured in the Fiske Guide to Colleges for 2019 as one of the "best and most interesting schools" in the United States, Canada and Great Britain and is a 2019 College of Distinction. For more information, visit champlain.edu.