The city of Boston, Massachusetts is considered to be a hotbed of cybersecurity, according to Pitchbook, a private market data platform. Boston contains many colleges and universities in which students can study cybersecurity and is also an area for local startup technology companies. There are currently more than seven public cybersecurity companies in Boston with market capital over $1 billion. Additionally, many large cybersecurity organizations in Boston have been acquired, such as:
- Cloudlock
- Veracode
- RSA
- Recorded Future
There are also many successful cybersecurity IPOs in Boston, like:
- Rapid7
- Tufin
- Mimecast
- Imprivata
- CyberArk
- Carbon Black
Pitchbook goes on to say that there are over 200 cybersecurity companies statewide in Massachusetts, including 81 that have venture funding. Indeed.com ranked Boston the third-fastest-growing hub for technology in the U.S. in April 2019. Fifty percent of Boston’s workforce holds bachelor’s degrees, compared to 35 percent of the nationwide workforce.
A bachelor’s degree can certainly set you apart from other cybersecurity jobseekers. Massachusetts is home to 18 local universities that offer over 30 cybersecurity certificate and degree programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
If you would like to become part of the cybersecurity workforce in the state of Massachusetts, your first step is to obtain a bachelor’s degree. This article will describe the ins and outs of a cybersecurity bachelor’s degree in Massachusetts, and examine more closely what it can do for you.
Cybersecurity in the News in Massachusetts
The Governor of Massachusetts, Charlie Baker, announced in October 2019 a new program in his state that was designed to combat and prevent cyberattacks in towns and cities statewide. The program invested $300,000 to create workshops across the state in which municipalities could work together to improve cybersecurity. The program was to be managed by the MassCyberCenter, located at the MassTech Collaborative. It was the beginning of an effort to digitize all state assets and protect them from cybersecurity threats. Additionally, the governor mentioned that, at the time, there were 9000 open cybersecurity jobs across Massachusetts. It was hoped that a renewed interest in cybersecurity would help to spur students on to enroll in cybersecurity education programs and to fill some of the many available jobs.
Massachusetts Cybersecurity Education
Cybersecurity is a burgeoning field and a great one to explore in Massachusetts. With the right education, starting with a bachelor’s degree, you could become eligible for jobs such as these recently-advertised ones:
- Cyber Security Analyst – NTT Data, Plymouth
- Cyber Security Engineer – Skyward Federal, LLC, Boston
- Cyber Security Analyst – Odyssey Systems Consulting Group, Ltd., Lexington
- Cyber Security Manager- Raytheon Technologies, Tewksbury
- Network & Security Operations Center Engineer–Technium, Inc., Southborough
- Cyber Security Analyst – MIT Lincoln Laboratory, Lexington
- Security Analyst – Nike, Boston
- Information Technology Specialist (Cyber Security)- US Department of Energy, Boston
- Junior Cybersecurity Analyst – Booz Allen Hamilton, Lexington
- Cybersecurity Risk Specialist – Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, Boston
Cybersecurity Certification in Massachusetts
In addition to obtaining your bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity in Massachusetts, you might want to pursue professional certifications. Most of these require taking a course (often available online) and passing an examination. Many cybersecurity jobs require that candidates be certified in areas such as the following:
- Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) through ISC2
- Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) through ISACA
- Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) through EC Council
- Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) through ISACA
- Information Systems Security Architecture Professional (ISSAP) through ISC2
Undergraduate Cybersecurity Degree Names in Massachusetts
In Massachusetts, some of the undergraduate degrees in cybersecurity that are available are:
- Bachelor of Science in Computer Science – Concentration in Cyber Operations
- Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity – Digital Forensics & Incident Response
- Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity – Concentration in Cyber Operations
- Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering – Concentration in Cybersecurity
- Bachelor of Science in Computer Science – Security & Privacy Track
Curriculum for Bachelor’s Degree in Cybersecurity in Massachusetts
Most Massachusetts bachelor’s-level cybersecurity programs will include courses like:
- Discrete structures
- Networks and distributed systems
- Algorithms and data
- Systems security
- Cryptography
- Network security
- Logic and computation
- Cyber law, including privacy, ethics and digital rights
- Wireless networks
- Mobile and wireless systems
Bachelor’s Degree Programs in Cybersecurity in Massachusetts
Undergraduate (associate and bachelor’s) degree programs in cybersecurity are not usually accredited at the program level. However, there are some exceptions, which we will examine below. Any Massachusetts institution you choose for your bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity should be regionally accredited by an agency that has been listed with the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).
Centers of Academic Excellence (CAE)
The National Centers of Academic Excellence program was begun in 1999 by the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). It recognizes undergraduate and graduate cybersecurity degrees as Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (CAE-CD) and Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Operations (CAE-CO).
Massachusetts Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education
Two Massachusetts cybersecurity bachelor’s degree programs have been recognized as Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education (CAE-CDE):
- Northeastern University —
–Bachelor of Science in Computer Science- Concentration in Cyber Operations
—Bachelor of Science in Cyber Security – Concentration in Cyber Operations
(Also CAE-CO accredited – see below)
Khoury College of Computer Sciences
360 Huntington Ave.
Boston, MA 02115
CAE- Cyber Defense Education- Accredited through 2021
Megan Giordano, Assistant Director of Student Services
(617) 373-7816; m.giordano@northeastern.edu
Massachusetts Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Operations
Two Massachusetts bachelor’s degree programs within the same institution have been recognized as Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Operations (CAE-CO):
- Northeastern University —
–Bachelor of Science in Computer Science- Concentration in Cyber Operations
—Bachelor of Science in Cyber Security – Concentration in Cyber Operations
(also CAE-CD accredited – see above)
Khoury College of Computer Sciences
360 Huntington Ave.
Boston, MA 02115
CAE- Cyber Operations- Accredited through 2022
Megan Giordano, Assistant Director of Student Services
(617) 373-7816; m.giordano@northeastern.edu
Additional Cybersecurity Bachelor’s Degree Programs in Massachusetts
There are more cybersecurity programs in Massachusetts that have not received programmatic accreditation but have institutional accreditation, such as:
- Assumption College – Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity (on campus and online)
Accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE)
Cybersecurity Center
500 Salisbury Street
Worcester, MA 01609
Raymond Albert, Ph.D., Director
(508) 767-7594; rt.albert@assumption.edu
- Bay Path University – Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity – Digital Forensics & Incident Response (online or on campus)
Accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE)
The American Women’s College at Bay Path University
1350 Main St. 7th Floor
Springfield, MA 01103
(413) 889-3022; exploreawc@baypath.edu
- Regis College – Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity
Accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE)
School of Arts & Sciences
235 Wellesley Street
Weston, MA 02493
Robert Duhainy, Asst. Professor
(781) 768-7000; robert.duhainy@regiscollege.edu
- University of Massachusetts Amherst – Bachelor of Science in Computer Science – Security & Privacy Track
Accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE)
College of Information and Computer Sciences
140 Governors Drive
Amherst, MA 01003
(413) 545-2744; info@cics.umass.edu
- University of Massachusetts Dartmouth – Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering– Concentration in Cyber Security
Accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE)
Electrical & Computer Engineering
285 Old Westport Road
Dartmouth, MA 02747-2300
Antonio Costa, Chairperson
(508) 999-8471; acosta@umassd.edu
- Wentworth Institute of Technology – Bachelor of Science in Cyber Security
Accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE)
Engineering & Computer Science Department
550 Huntington Ave.
Boston, MA 02115
(617) 989-4590
- Worcester Polytechnic Institute – Bachelor of Science in Computer Science – Cyber Security Concentration
Accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE)
100 Institute Road
Worcester, MA 01609-2280
(508) 831-5000
The New York Times recently reported that there will be 3.5 million open cybersecurity jobs around the world by 2021, up from one million vacant positions in 2014. MIT Technology Review has noted that less than one in four who apply for cybersecurity jobs are qualified. It is more important now than ever before to get your bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity if you are interested in working in the discipline. This will help to set you apart from the many unqualified applicants and land your dream job in cybersecurity in Massachusetts!