Danville Community College receives cyber excellence designation

DANVILLE (WSLS 10) - Danville Community College is now designated as a center for cyber excellence by the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security.

Governor Terry McAuliffe made the announcement at the college on Thursday afternoon.

DCC is now one of only four community colleges in the state to have this designation.

The application process took about 18 months and McAuliffe said this is critical to getting graduates hired in the industry and bringing cyber security jobs to the area.

He emphasized that cyber security jobs are 21st-century jobs and the cyber security industry as a whole is a major part of what he calls the new Virginia economy.

"I want to thank Danville because they have gone out, they have taken the lead on this. This is our first rural community college to get this designation," said McAuliffe. "This is very important if you want to bring those jobs in, if you want your students to get hired in the field."

The governor also said that this designation could provide a huge boost to the area and the state's economy.

"Southwest and Southside Virginia, these can all be cybersecurity hubs," explained McAuliffe. "This is exciting for the region. This is a big first step for us for what we need to do to continue to build what I call the new Virginia economy."