BELLINGHAM - Whatcom Community College's computer program is now considered one of the best in the country, especially in the areas of cyber security.

The college was recently named as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance by the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security.

The designation, which lasts for five years, means the college's curriculum and faculty meet rigorous standards set by the NSA and Homeland Security to help protect people and their information.

"It is a major threat to our security," said Corrinne Sande, Computer Information Systems program coordinator at WCC, about hackers and others trying to access personal information on computers and the Internet. "Even though people can't see those kinds of attacks, it is a threat."

WCC is one of only 13 two-year schools in the country with the designation, which was opened to community and technical colleges last year. The University of Washington is also a Center of Academic Excellence in this area, but for a university instead of a two-year school.

"We're not a really large community college so it is pretty significant for our college," Sande said.

The CIS program has gained popularity over the last couple years, Sande said, with double the number of students enrolled in the Networking 1 class this year compared to last.

Sande, who has been working through the steps to get the designation for about three years, said being known as a Center of Academic Excellence should give students better job placement and college transfer opportunities.

"It's all part of a national strategy to protect the infrastructure of the nation," Sande said, "to produce people that understand what it takes to protect company networks and aid our national security."