The National Cyber Summit was held in Huntsville, Alabama in 2019. This meeting included 2000 cybersecurity experts from across the country, discussing computer security. Director of research in computer forensics at the University of Alabama in Birmingham, Dr. Gary Warner, warned people attending the conference that people do not seem to care about or grasp the importance of cybersecurity. He noted that in 2018, the FBI’s budget did not request even a five percent increase in cybercrime spending, and said that this indicates cybercrime is not being taken seriously by the American public. Warner, who researches cybercrime, notes that people don’t always get reimbursed from credit card companies if they are the victim of a cybercrime.
Dr. Wesley McGrew, director of cyber operations for HorneCyber, searches for cyber vulnerabilities in companies and produces reports for them on risks and ways to fix those risks. He noted that the cost of data breaches to companies is significant, even if it does not include paying a ransom to recover stolen data. McGrew also said that hacking is becoming more organized and is no longer done by random individuals.
If you would like to work in the field of cybersecurity in Alabama and help to protect its businesses and citizens, keep reading.
Cybersecurity in the News in Alabama
In August 2020, the new Alabama School of Cyber Technology and Engineering opened in Huntsville. It is the first and only public residential high school for students with an interest in cyber technology and engineering in Alabama. Students pay no tuition nor housing costs to attend this school. While a new school building is being constructed, students are temporarily meeting at the Oakwood Academy building on the campus of Oakwood University. Raytheon has donated $4 million towards completion of the new school building, and the school’s foundation has raised $13 million. The headquarters of the school is expected to be completed in 2022.
The purpose of this new school is to help meet the shortage of qualified cybersecurity engineers and analysts that Alabama and the nation is experiencing. While the school started with just under 80 students, it is hoped that the student body will grow to 350 students.
Alabama Information Security Jobs for Those with Associate Degrees and Certificates
An associate degree or certificate in cybersecurity can prepare you for many jobs in the information security field in Alabama, like:
- Cyber Security Analyst I – Leidos, Huntsville
- Cyber Security Analyst – Entry Level – Summit Technical Solutions, LLC, Huntsville
- Cyber Analyst – AVACAL, LLC, Redstone Arsenal
- Cyber Security Analyst – Scientific Research Corporation, Montgomery
- Cyber Incident Response Analyst – Quantum Research International, Huntsville
- Security Analyst – HealthSouth, Birmingham
- Information Security Analyst III – American Express, Montgomery
- IT Security Analyst – BBVA Compass, Birmingham
- Junior-Mid Level IT Security Analyst – Seneca Resources, Birmingham
- Cyber Security Engineer – Harnham, Huntsville
Alabama Cybersecurity Associate Degrees
A few of the associate degree programs in cybersecurity in Alabama include:
- Associate of Applied Science in Computer Information Systems – Cybersecurity concentration
- Associate of Applied Science in Computer Information Science – Information Security & Assurance
- Associate of Science in Computer Science – Cyber Security
- Associate of Applied Science in Computer Science – Cybersecurity
- Associate of Applied Science in Computer Science – Cyber-Infused Networking Technology
Cybersecurity Associate Degree and Certificate Programs in Alabama
Institutions housing information security degree and certificate programs in Alabama should be are accredited by regional accreditation agencies that have been recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).
Centers of Academic Excellence (CAE)
The National Security Agency (NSA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) created the National Centers of Academic Excellence program to spotlight the very best cybersecurity degree and certificate programs in the United States. These programs have become known as Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (CAE-CD).
Alabama Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education
Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education (CAE-CD) within Alabama, at the associate degree and/or certificate level, include:
- Calhoun Community College –
—Associate of Applied Science in Computer Information Systems – Cybersecurity Concentration
—Computer Information Systems Cybersecurity Essentials Short-Term Certificate
Computer Information Systems, Center for Cybersecurity Education
6250 Hwy 31
North Tanner, AL 35671
CAE- Cyber Defense Education- Accredited through 2023
Andrew Gregory, Coordinator
(256) 890-4987; andrew.gregory@calhoun.edu
- University of Alabama at Birmingham –
—Graduate Certificate in Cyber Security
—Graduate Certificate in Computer Forensics
College of Arts & Sciences, Dept. of Computer Science
University Hall 4105
1402 10th Ave. S.
Birmingham, AL 35294-1241
CAE- Cyber Defense Education- Accredited through 2024
Dr. Chengcui Zhang, Director
(205) 934-8606; czhang02@uab.edu
More Cybersecurity Associate Degrees and Certificates in Alabama
Other associate degree and certificate cybersecurity programs in Alabama include:
- Enterprise State Community College –
—Associate in Applied Science in Computer Information Science – Information Security & Assurance
—Short Term Certificate in Computer Systems Technology, Network Security Professional
Accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSOC)
Career Tech Programs
600 Plaza Drive
P.O. Box 1300
Enterprise, AL 36331
(334) 347-2623
- Northeast Alabama Community College –
—Certificate in Cybersecurity Technician
—Certificate in Computer Information Systems – Security+
Accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSOC)
138 AL Hwy 35
Rainsville, AL 35986
Julie K. Hester, CIS Instructor
- Troy University –
—Associate of Science in Computer Science – Cyber Security
—Cyber Security Certificate (online)
Accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSOC)
Continuing Education Center
Troy, AL 36082
(334) 983-0005; continuinged@troy.edu
- Wallace State Community College –
—Associate in Applied Science in Computer Science – Cyber Security (on campus and online)
—Associate in Applied Science in Computer Science – Cyber-Infused Networking Technology (on campus and online)
–Short Term Certificate in Computer Science – Cyber-Infused Networking Technology (on campus and online)
—Short Term Certificate in Computer Science – Cyber Security (on campus and online)
Accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSOC)
801 Main St. NW
P.O. Bo 2000
Hanceville, AL 35077-2000
Terry Ayers, Contact
(256) 352-8104; terry.ayers@wallacestate.edu
Alabama Associate Cybersecurity Degree Program Courses
Courses that you can expect to encounter in an associate degree program in cybersecurity in Alabama may include:
- IT Fundamentals
- Linux I & II
- Python Programming
- Security Analysis (Penetration Testing)
- Database Management Systems
- Computer Maintenance
- Enterprise Visualization
- Cisco CCNA I, II & III
- Server Administration
- Network Services Administration
- Network Security
Cybersecurity Certificates in Alabama
In addition to the certificates noted above, other undergraduate and graduate level cybersecurity certificates in Alabama include (but are not limited to):
- Graduate Certificate in Cybersecurity Studies – University of Alabama Huntsville
- Undergraduate Certificate (Minor) in Cybersecurity – University of North Alabama
- Undergraduate Certificate in Cybersecurity Specialist & Expert – Alabama A&M University
- Short-Term Certificate in Cyber Security (Undergraduate)- Drake State Community & Technical College
Cybersecurity Salaries in Alabama
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) notes that as of May 2019, information security analysts (cybersecurity professionals) employed in Alabama earned an annual mean wage of $88,750. Those working in the Huntsville area earned slightly higher salaries, averaging $94,280; as did those working in the Birmingham/Hoover area, who averaged an annual salary of $90,920.