The Institute for Complex Additive Systems Analysis (ICASA) was established in early 2001 by the New Mexico Legislature to study complex systems related to large-scale critical infrastructures. ICASA's mission is to contribute innovative and relevant solutions to national security and critical infrastructure protection problems. Our current research agenda includes four main areas: to understand the behaviors and vulnerabilities of complex additive systems (CAS); creation of inventive techniques for information assurance; training of analysts, scientists, and engineers to both use and advance proposed solutions; and to educate the next generation of engineers, mathematicians, and scientists in CAS security.

ICASA is a research institute housed at the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology (also known as New Mexico Tech or NMT) and supported by faculty, staff, and students with backgrounds in computer science, mathematics, engineering, technical communications, and management. ICASA is partnered with government, commercial, and private sectors and the broad range of supporting talents are used for applied research problems in the area of critical infrastructure protection. ICASA recognizes that the security of modern vital critical infrastructure systems, ranging from electric power systems to computer networks, is of crucial concern. It is clear that these systems are now so complex that it is no longer possible to ensure their security using conventional methods of design and analysis.

ICASA/NMT has been consistently recognized by the National Security Agency and Department of Homeland Security as a "Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education" since 2001. Additionally, in 2009 this designation expanded to include being a "Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Research". Moreover, the state of New Mexico utilizes ICASA/NMT personnel as first responders to perform forensic analysis of computer attacks and assist with improvement of computer security.

ICASA's vision and future plans include continuing research efforts on CAS's in support of information exploitation, protection, and time-critical information dissemination. Also included are sharing, developing and training in situational awareness and assessment that will allow decision makers to quickly and effectively deal with new threats. ICASA will continue to educate and train individuals to understand the new threats and to develop strategies to defend our critical information infrastructures.