Idaho is wonderfully endowed with gorgeous mountains, rivers, and other natural beauties, making it a popular vacation and adventure destination for years. Tourism has long been an important aspect of Idaho’s economy. Idaho’s economy, on the other hand, has been driven by research and technology industries for several decades. Electronic components and goods make up over three-quarters of the state’s exports. Sun Microsystems and Micron Technology both have headquarters in Idaho, albeit Sun is currently owned by Oracle Corporation. Laser printers are still made there by Hewlett-Packard. Professional and commercial services, trade and transportation, healthcare and education, and government are some of the other industries that employ a large portion of Idaho’s workers. While Idaho’s cybersecurity staff is currently modest, attackers have plenty of high-value targets. As a result, demand for information security services is growing and will continue to grow.
Cybersecurity Climate in Idaho
Idaho’s cybersecurity community is modest, yet it is nevertheless active and engaged. There are various locations where meetings are held on a regular basis. The annual Idaho Cybersecurity Interdependencies Summit, for example, is a series aimed at cybersecurity professionals as well as anyone from any business interested in learning more about the dangers to our data, systems, and networks. Its goal is to “strengthen Idaho’s cyber resilience through public-private collaborations.” One of the nation’s key cybersecurity facilities is located at the Idaho National Laboratory in Idaho Falls, Idaho. INL is a division of the United States Department of Energy that performs scientific and technology research in a variety of fields. One of these specialties is cybersecurity. Indeed, at the time of writing, INL’s careers page advertised at least two open cybersecurity roles. The facility’s security operations are aimed at safeguarding essential infrastructure, and cybersecurity is a big part of that. It also offers educational opportunities and funding to K-12 kids interested in STEM subjects. A group of cybersecurity specialists has also dedicated themselves to establishing BSides Idaho Falls in Idaho Falls. BSides is a global movement with local chapters all over the world. The goal is to develop community-driven frameworks for organising events that will bring together everyone interested in learning about and networking about current cybersecurity concerns. The tiny town of Idaho Falls may seem an unexpected location for such an attempt, but it is becoming an increasingly active group that attracts participation from all across the northwest region of the United States, thanks to the establishment of INL there.
Cybersecurity Degrees in Idaho
Idaho schools now provide a limited number of cybersecurity degrees and certificates. To present, just 12 programmes have been developed across the state. At least one institution, on the other hand, has amassed enormous cybersecurity resources. The Center for Secure and Dependable Systems (CSDS) was founded by the Idaho State Board of Education and developed by the University of Idaho’s Department of Computer Science. “Information assurance and cyber defence research and education are supported and coordinated by CSDS,” according to its website. CSDS was founded in 1999 and obtained funding to pursue cybersecurity research in 2012. In Idaho, it does so in collaboration with private industry. UI’s CSDS has been designated as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense by the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security (CAE-CD). The National Science Foundation has also provided funds to the UI CSDS faculty for the Scholarship for Service Program. The programme allows students to work for the federal government in exchange for their college expenses being funded. An annual Cybersecurity Symposium is also held by CSDS. Every year, UI’s Department of Computer Science participates teams of students in the annual CyberForce Competition hosted by the US Department of Energy.
ASSOCIATE’S DEGREE
The cybersecurity workforce is rapidly expanding, but the demand for competent expertise is even faster. Cybersecurity is a highly technical field that necessitates a broad understanding of all things computer-related, as well as cybersecurity specialisations. As a result, bachelor’s degrees are required for the majority of information security jobs. Employers ready to recruit people with a two-year associate’s degree are still offering many entry-level roles, in part due to the shortage of cybersecurity professionals. Professionals who are already established in a cybersecurity field, on the other hand, will benefit from returning to school to complete a bachelor’s degree programme.
Campus-Based Associate’s Degrees in Idaho
Idaho universities now offer four campus-based cybersecurity associate’s degree programmes. For more information, see the table below.
BACHELOR’S DEGREE
Today’s cybersecurity defensive operations necessitate a wide understanding of systems, networks, programming, and data storage. Only considerable education, training, and experience can provide you with this level of understanding. As a result, it’s not surprising that the majority of cybersecurity jobs nowadays demand at least a bachelor’s degree in a technology field. In a work environment where skilled applicants are hard to come by, most STEM-related degrees are often acceptable to companies. A bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity, on the other hand, will provide you a distinct advantage not only in the employment market, but also in acclimating to the real world of cybersecurity.
Campus-Based Bachelor’s Degrees in Idaho
Idaho colleges and universities now offer only one cybersecurity bachelor’s degree programme. The Bachelor of Science in Computer Science with a Cybersecurity Minor is a campus-based programme provided by Boise State University.
MASTER’S DEGREE
The very nature of cybersecurity is that it is constantly evolving. It’s a never-ending cat and mouse game between hackers and those tasked with safeguarding organisations’ data, systems, and networks all around the world. This means that the area of cybersecurity necessitates constant technological innovation. Education institutions, cybersecurity corporations, and information security think tanks are increasingly conducting research to advance data security. Master’s degrees are frequently sought by cybersecurity experts involved in such research. This is especially true for teachers. In addition, many top corporate information security executives think that obtaining a master’s degree in cybersecurity is advantageous or even critical.
Online Master’s Degrees in Idaho
The Master of Science in Computer Science – Information Assurance programme at the University of Idaho is now Idaho’s only cybersecurity master’s degree programme. The coursework is delivered via the internet. There are no campus-based master’s degree programmes in information security offered by Idaho colleges.
Ph.D. DEGREES
As with many other professions, cybersecurity Ph.D. programmes are mostly sought after by people working in academia or research. Doctorate degrees in cybersecurity are being pursued by certain high-level corporate executives.
Campus-Based Ph.D. Programmes in Idaho
The University of Idaho also offers a campus-based Ph.D. in Computer Assurance – Information Assurance, which is the state’s sole cybersecurity Ph.D. programme. Idaho colleges do not currently offer any online cybersecurity Ph.D. programmes.
CERTIFICATIONS
Certification programmes in technological specialties are currently available for a wide range of audiences and for a variety of reasons. One such speciality is cybersecurity. Students can obtain certification programmes that give them an overview of a variety of knowledge areas that are necessary for most careers. Certifications are also available for particular specialists who want to grow and upgrade their expertise in a certain field. Many cybersecurity certification programmes are now geared to replace, at least temporarily, comprehensive degree programmes in cybersecurity. Whatever the case may be, students and professionals can tremendously benefit from completing as many certifications as possible, both in terms of CV development and skill and knowledge improvement.
Campus-Based Cybersecurity Certifications in Idaho
In Idaho, there are now five cybersecurity certificate programmes to choose from. All of them are available in a campus-based arrangement. There are currently no online programmes in development. For more information, see the table below.
CYBERSECURITY PROGRAMS IN IDAHO
According to Cyberseek, the state employed 4,161 persons in some area of information security as of September 2019. Idaho firms listed new job vacancies for 1,331 cybersecurity employees in the previous 12 months. The area around Boise City was the busiest, with 692 new workers needed. With 162 job listings, Coeur d’Alene was the next most active city. Idaho Falls (100) and Pocatello (100) were the only other cities with substantial demand (80). Employers appear to be paying about in line with the relative cost of living in Idaho when using security analysts as a barometer for the cybersecurity pay scale. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average hourly wage was $41.63 in May 2018, and the average yearly salary was $86,590. This is just a tad less than the national average. The state’s standard of living, on the other hand, is just around 2% lower than the national average.
Cybersecurity in Idaho
The fact that Idaho’s cybersecurity sector is growing so quickly reflects the pervasive and important nature of information security today. Even in a place where natural beauty and adventure reign supreme, cybersecurity is critical to 21st-century existence as well as economic health and stability. The Idaho National Laboratory in Idaho Falls, as well as the state’s economy, contribute to this activity. Idaho’s cybersecurity community should continue to expand and thrive in the future due to its reliance on technology businesses and other organisations exposed to cyber threats.
