According to Florida Trend, 300,000 consumer complaints were logged by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Internet Crime Complaint Center nationally in 2017. Losses of $1.4 billion were reported that year. Of that number, 21,887 victims were from Florida (second only to California in number of victims of cybercrime in 2017). Cybercriminals in Florida made $47.3 million in 2017, the third-highest amount in the nation gleaned from cybercrime in states. Floridians lost $110.6 million to cybercriminals that year. The top cybercrimes in Florida in 2017 were:
- Non-payment/non-delivery (of goods or services)
- Personal data breaches
- Identity thefts
- Phishing
- Overpayment
The majority of victims of cybercrime in Florida in 2017 were over the age of 60, with victims ages 50 to 59 in second place.
Cybercrime is a major problem in Florida, the nation’s third most populated state. It makes sense that the largest victim group would be those over the age of 60, as 23.4 percent of Florida’s population is over age 60 (and the second-highest crime group by victim age, ages 50 to 59, make up 36.9 percent of the state’s population). This is clearly a major concern for the state of Florida, and one in which more educated and trained cybersecurity professionals are needed to fight cybercrime. If you would like to become one of these professionals, keep reading to discover how you can get an associate degree or certificate in cybersecurity in the state of Florida.
Florida’s Cybersecurity in the News
The Cybersecurity Forum 2020 was announced as a virtual event to be held on September 16 and 17, 2020. It is co-hosted by the Foundation of Associated Industries of Florida, Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, FloridaMakes, and Workers’ Compensation Institute. The virtual event will offer, in an educational setting, best practices on cybersecurity for businesses and professionals. It is also slated to offer an overview of the new, federally-mandated Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification standards and practices for Florida companies that must comply with them to maintain business operations. The s Acting Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, Marco Rubio, will be a featured speaker in the forum, along with cybersecurity experts from various industries.
Cybersecurity Jobs for Associate Degree/Certificate Holders in Florida
Entry-level cybersecurity jobs in Florida are often attainable with an associate degree or certificate in a cybersecurity-related area. Examples of Florida jobs that might be attainable with such a degree or certificate include:
- Junior Information Security Analyst – Sayres & Associates Corporation, Orlando
- Information Security Analyst Associate – General Dynamics IT, Patrick Air Force Base
- Cyber Security Analyst – Liberty IT Solutions, Melbourne
- Classified Cyber Security Analyst – Lockheed Martin, Orlando
- Associate IT Security Specialist – Kforce, Inc., Jacksonville
- Information Technology Security Analyst – Faro Technologies, Lake Mary
- Security Analyst Information Technology – Addition Financial Credit Union, Lake Mary
- Security Analyst – Fiserv, Pompano Beach
- Cyber Security Analyst – Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa
- Cyber Engineer I – Raytheon, Tampa
Associate Cybersecurity Degree Programs in Florida
The following associate in cybersecurity degree programs are offered in Florida:
- Associate of Science in IT Security
- Associate of Science in Computer Information Technology
- Associate of Science in Networking Administrator
- Associate of Science in Cyber and Information Security
- Associate of Science in Cyber Security
Florida’s Associate Degree and Certificate Cybersecurity Programs
Any Florida institution at which you choose to study should be accredited by a regional accreditation agency that is 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) established the National Centers of Academic Excellence program to recognize the best undergraduate and graduate cybersecurity degree programs in the United States, calling these programs Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (CAE-CD).
Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education in Florida
The following Florida associate degree and certificate programs have been designated Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education (CAE-CD):
- Daytona State College – Advanced Technical Certificate in Cybersecurity & Cyberforensics
1200 W. International Speedway Blvd.
Daytona Beach, FL 32114
CAE- Cyber Defense Education- Accredited through 2021
Patrick Vilkinofsky, Asst. Professor
(386) 506-4183; Patrick.Vilkinofsky@daytonastate.edu
- Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University – Certificate in Cybersecurity
Dept. of Computer & Information Sciences, Center for Cyber Security
1601 S. Martin L. King Jr. Blvd.
Tallahassee, FL 32307
CAE- Cyber Defense Education- Accredited through 2022
Dr. Hongmei Chi, Head of the Cyber Security Program of Study
(850) 412-7355; hongmei.chi@famu.edu
- Florida State College at Jacksonville –
—Associate of Science in IT Security
—Technical Certificate in Digital Forensics
Center for Cyber Security
101 West State Street
Jacksonville, FL 32202
CAE- Cyber Defense Education- Accredited through 2023
Ernest M. Friend, Instructional Program Manager
(904) 598-5650; ernest.friend@fscj.edu
- Indian River State College –
—Associate of Science in Computer Information Technology
Cyber Center of Excellence
3209 Virginia Ave.
Fort Pierce, FL 34981
CAE- Cyber Defense Education- Accredited through 2023
Steve Nicholson, Contact
(772) 462-7145; snichols@irsc.edu
- University of Central Florida – Graduate Certificate in Computer Forensics
College of Engineering & Computer Science
4000 Central Florida Blvd.
Orlando, FL 32816
CAE- Cyber Defense Education- Accredited through 2021
(407) 823-2000
- University of South Florida – Cybersecurity Awareness & Education Graduate Certificate
College of Education, Dept. of Instructional Technology
4202 E. Fowler Ave.
Tampa, FL 33612
CAE- Cyber Defense Education- Accredited through 2022
Dr. Nasir Ghani, Contact
(813) 974-4772; nghani@usf.edu
Florida Associate Degree Cybersecurity Program Classes
Courses that you will find in an associate degree cybersecurity program in Florida focus on:
- Hardware Configuration
- Software Configuration
- Fundamentals of Information Security
- Operating Systems Foundations
- Network Fundamentals
- Routing & Switching Fundamentals
- Server Configuration
- Data Forensics
- Intrusion Detection Systems and Auditing
- Techniques of Computer Hacking & Incident Handling
- Offensive Security-Advanced Penetration Testing
Cybersecurity Certificates in Florida
There are many certificates in cybersecurity offered at colleges and universities in Florida, in addition to those listed above, both at the undergraduate and graduate levels. They include, but are not limited to:
- Cybersecurity Certificate- Valencia College
- Digital Forensics Certificate – Valencia College
- Graduate Certificate in Information Security – University of Florida
- Graduate Certificate in Hardware & System Security – University of Florida
- Certificate in Cybersecurity – St. Petersburg College
- College Credit Certificate in Network Security – Palm Beach State College
Salaries for Cybersecurity Workers in Florida
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) of the U.S. Department of Labor, the average mean wage for information security analysts working in Florida in May 2019 was $91,580. Those working in various parts of the state earned higher than the average wage, as noted below:
- North Port/Sarasota/Bradenton: $109,700
- Palm Bay/Melbourne/Titusville: $106,450
- Gainesville: $105,920
- Port St. Lucie: $103,420
- Pensacola/Ferry Pass/Brent: $100,060
- Orlando/Kissimmee/Sanford: $96,660
- Cape Coral/Ft. Myers: $92,070