The progress of information networks in recent years has required that companies and private organizations, and governments as well, implement effective information security measures in order to enhance their credibility and competitiveness.

However, there is a significant shortage of experts in information security worldwide, and there is an urgent need for institutions that can train professionals in the information security field.

Given such a need, Hyogo Prefecture has established Carnegie Mellon CyLab Japan, a leader in information technology education and research in the United States. Carnegie Mellon CyLab Japan aims to become a center for information security education and research in Asia.

The university was founded in 1900 in Pittsburgh by industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie as Carnegie Technical Schools. When the school was renamed Carnegie Institute of Technology in 1912, it took another important step in its transition into one of the nation's leading private research universities. In 1967, Carnegie Tech merged with the Mellon Institute to form Carnegie Mellon University.
The university today consists of seven colleges and schools, the Carnegie Institute of Technology (engineering), the College of Fine Arts, the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, the Mellon College of Science, the David A. Tepper School of Business, the School of Computer Science and the H. John Heinz III School of Public Policy and Management.
And it has become a national leader in technological fields such as computer science, robotics and engineering.

1. Offer a master's degree (U.S.) in Japan

The student receives a master's degree from Carnegie Mellon University (MSIT-IS, or Master of Science in Information Technology - Information Security). The degree is conferred directly by the U.S. Main Campus of Carnegie Mellon University, and as such the student graduating with an MSIT-IS degree will be recognized anywhere in the world as a foremost expert in information security.

2. A world-class degree program: Striving to be at the forefront of information security

The MSIT-IS program is taught by experts with vast knowledge in the research and application of information security technology in Japan and abroad. Therefore, instead of simply memorizing facts and theories the student learns the basics of information security and methodology, and learns how to design and apply security measures in a systematic manner, all within a hands-on setting.

3. Information Security Research at Carnegie Mellon University

Issues and problems concerning information security involve many different disciplines thereby s demanding a new interdisciplinary field of study. In order to promote research activities that cross-cut underlying traditional boundaries in academia, CyLab (http://www.cylab.cmu.edu/), established at Carnegie Mellon University and reporting directly to the President, gathers researchers from various disciplines (e.g. Engineering, Computer Science, Public Policy, and Business) and institutes (e.g. Software Engineering Institute (SEI) and Computer Emergency Response Team Coordination Center (CERT/CC)) in order to confront challenges of information security that are crucial for our societies.