A 2015 article in the Yale Daily News described how Connecticut is seeking to become a leader in the $210 billion cybersecurity industry. According to a detailed analysis by Burning Glass Technologies, the number of cybersecurity positions advertised in Connecticut grew by 98% between 2010 and 2014. With demand strong for cybersecurity experts with advanced training, salaries are high for these professionals.
- Grand Canyon University - B.S. and M.S. in Cyber Security
- SNHU - B.S and M.S. in Cybersecurity
- Purdue Global - Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity
- Arizona State University - Online Master of Arts in Global Security
Recruitment firms for cybersecurity experts are highly active in Connecticut, and the state is home to Fairfield-based Indigo Partners, Inc.—one of the country’s premier recruitment firms for cybersecurity specialists. The need for cybersecurity experts in Connecticut is so acute that Comcast partnered with the University of Connecticut in Storrs to create a new Center of Excellence for Security Innovation.
A Washington Post analysis reported that many defense contractors have set their eyes on the growing market of cybersecurity as defense funding dries up. The British firm BAE Systems provided an example of this trend with its 2014 annoucement that it was purchasing Milford’s SilverSky cybersecurity firm for $232 million. While BAE systems rebranded the offices under its Applied Intelligence business area, the leadership and location were expected to remain in Milford.
Connecticut Attorney General George Jepsen reported that the state suffered from 527 data breaches in one year that threatened the personal information of 580,000 Connecticut residents. These breaches brought about sweeping changes to Connecticcut’s data security law when Governor Dannel P. Malloy signed SB 949—An Act Improving Data Security and Agency Effectiveness—into law in 2015.
This bill affects Connecticut businesses and state contractors who now have the responsibility of notifying the state’s Attorney General and any individual whose personal security was breached. This legislation provides a strong incentive for businesses in Connecticut to hire cybersecurity experts to ensure compliance with this new law.
In addition, Connecticut leaders were ahead of the curve in their efforts to protect utilities from disruption by hackers by being the first state to present a cybersecurity strategy in partnership with its utilities. Governor Malloy released a plan in 2014 authored by Arthur House, the Chairman of Connecticut’s Public Utilities Regulatory Authority. One of the findings of the report was that Connecticut should commence self-regulation reports and cyber audits. In addition, the plan recommends moving towards a third-party audit and assessment system.
Salaries for Key Cybersecurity Specialists in Connecticut’s Major Cities
Cybersecurity specialists in Connecticut can expect to earn salaries within the ranges shown here according to the Robert Half Technology 2016 Salary Guide. The most experienced master’s-prepared cybersecurity specialists can expect to earn on the high end of these ranges:
Stamford:
- Data Security Analysts: $148,685 – $209,600
- Systems Security Administrators: $138,205 – $195,845
- Network Security Administrators: $135,258 – $192,570
Hartford:
- Data Security Analysts: $132,228 – $186,400
- Systems Security Administrators: $122,908 – $174,168
- Network Security Administrators: $120,286 – $171,255
New Haven:
- Data Security Analysts: $127,120 – $179,200
- Systems Security Administrators: $118,160 – $167,440
- Network Security Administrators: $115,640 – $164,640
Salaries for Connecticut’s Information Security Analysts
The Connecticut Department of Labor reported that the number of jobs for information security analysts will increase by 18.6% between 2012 and 2022. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) indicated that the salaries for information security analysts in the 90th percentile in the Norwich-New London-Westerly metropolitan area were so high that they exceeded the maximum value reported by the BLS as of 2015. Analysts who possess a master’s degree in cybersecurity can expect to earn salaries in the highest percentiles:
*Values shown are greater than or equal to $90 an hour or $187,200 a year. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics does not provide salary data higher than these values.