The state of Minnesota is home to 16 companies listed on Fortune 500. All of the Fortune 500 companies account for over $12.8 trillion in revenue to the United States, or more than two-thirds of the country’s gross domestic product. They also employ over 28 million people. The companies in Minnesota that made this year’s list are:
- United Health Group of Minneapolis
- Target of Minneapolis
- Best Buy of Richfield
- 3M of Maplewood
- CHS of Inver Grove Heights
- U.S. Bancorp of Minneapolis
- General Mills of Golden Valley
- C.H. Robinson Worldwide of Eden Prairie
- Ecolab of Saint Paul
- Land O’Lakes of Arden Hills
- Ameriprise Financial of Minneapolis
- Xcel Energy of Minneapolis
- Hormel Foods of Austin
- Thrivent Financial for Lutherans of Minneapolis
- Polaris of Medina
- Securian Financial Group of Saint Paul
With this many companies generating almost $600 billion in revenue for Minnesota, cybersecurity is a main concern within the state. Cybersecurity professionals are specially trained and educated to help safeguard sensitive information of private citizens and businesses, as well as of government agencies and educational institutions. Breaking into the cybersecurity field in Minnesota typically requires at least a bachelor’s degree. If you live in Minnesota and are interested in learning more about the challenging, exciting world of cybersecurity, read on.
Minnesota’s Cybersecurity Laws
In December 2019, the administration of Minnesota’s Governor Tim Walz announced that they were about to propose legislation that would tighten cybersecurity at state insurance companies. This was prompted by a revelation by the Star Tribune that Minnesota Blue Cross Blue Shield had endured over 200,000 cybersecurity breaches of its computer systems over the years. The administration plans to draft and drum up support for a new state law that would adopt the already existing national standards for data security at insurance companies. If passed, the new Minnesota insurance cybersecurity law would allow the state’s Commerce Department to investigate cybersecurity breaches and risks at insurance companies statewide. It would also require insurance companies to notify the Commerce Department of data breaches. This law will be modeled after the 2017 National Association of Insurance Commissioners cybersecurity law.
Cybersecurity Education in Minnesota
A bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity can open the door to many career opportunities in Minnesota, such as:
- Information Security Analyst – Target, Brooklyn Park
- Special Agent- Cybersecurity/Technology – Federal Bureau of Investigation, Minneapolis and St. Paul
- Cybersecurity Analyst II – Jostens, Minneapolis
- IT Security Specialist – 3M, St. Paul and Woodbury
- Information Security Analyst – Imagine Communications, Minnesota Lake
- Cybersecurity Administrator- Ins Consulting Corporation, Plymouth
- Cyber Security Engineer – United Natural Foods, Eden Prairie
- CyberArk Senior Associate – PwC, Minneapolis
- Cybersecurity Senior Analyst – Apex Systems, Edina
- IT Security Analyst – Sun Country Airlines, Minneapolis
Minnesota Bachelor’s Degrees in Cybersecurity
Titles of some of the bachelor’s degree programs in cybersecurity offered in Minnesota include:
- Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity
- Bachelor of Science in Information Technology- Specialization in Information Assurance & Cybersecurity
- Bachelor of Applied Science in Computer Forensics
- Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Systems- Concentration in Cybersecurity for Information Systems
- Bachelor of Science in Information Technology- Concentration in Cyber Security and Forensics
Bachelor’s Degree Cybersecurity Programs in Minnesota
The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) offers a directory of regional accreditation agencies that accredit universities and colleges across the United States. Regardless of the cybersecurity bachelor’s degree program that you choose, make sure that the school in which it is housed in is accredited by an agency within this directory.
Centers of Academic Excellence (CAE)
The National Security Agency (NSA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) created a program entitled the National Centers of Academic Excellence. It recognizes the best undergraduate and graduate cybersecurity degree programs in the U.S., including Minnesota.
Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education in Minnesota
The following cybersecurity bachelor’s degree programs in Minnesota have been designated as Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education (CAE-CD):
- Capella University – Bachelor of Science in Information Technology – Specialization in Information Assurance and Cybersecurity (online)
Also accredited by the Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET
Capella Tower
225 South 6th St., 9th Floor
Minneapolis, MN 55402
CAE- Cyber Defense Education- Accredited through 2021
(888) 277-9897; (866) 808-4080
- Metropolitan State University –
—Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity
—Bachelor of Applied Science in Computer Forensics
College of Sciences, MN Cyber Institute
700 East Seventh Street
Saint Paul, MN 55106-5000
CAE- Cyber Defense Education- Accredited through 2020
Faisal Kaleem, Contact
(651) 793-1238; faisal.kaleem@metrostate.edu
- St. Cloud State University – Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity
Dept. of Computer Science & Information Technology, Center for Information Assurance Studies
720 4th Ave. South
St. Cloud, MN 56301-4498
CAE- Cyber Defense Education – Accredited through 2021
Dr. Mark B. Schmidt, Contact
(320) 308-4988; mbschmidt@stcloudstate.edu
- Walden University –
—Bachelor of Science in Information Technology – Concentration in Cyber Security and Forensics (online)
100 Washington Ave. South
Suite 900
Minneapolis, MN 55401
CAE- Cyber Defense Education- Accredited through 2019
Dr. Bob Duhainy, Contact
(617) 510-5538; Bob.duhainy@mail.WaldenU.edu
More Bachelor’s Degree Programs in Cybersecurity in Minnesota
Additional cybersecurity programs in Minnesota leading to a bachelor’s degree include:
- Dunwoody College of Technology – Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity
Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
Computer Technology Dept.
818 Dunwoody Blvd.
Minneapolis, MN 55403
(612) 374-5800
- Rasmussen College – Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity (online)
Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
School of Technology
4400 W. 78th St. 6th Floor
Bloomington, MN 55435
(952) 545-2000
Minnesota Cybersecurity Program Classes
Undergraduate cybersecurity degree programs in Minnesota typically require classes such as:
- Computer Organization and Architecture
- Introduction to Data Structures
- Networking Protocols and Analysis
- Database Management Systems
- Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing
- Cryptography
- Computer Security
- Cyber Operations
Cybersecurity Certifications in Minnesota
Professional cybersecurity certifications can boost your marketability in Minnesota’s job marketplace. Earning credentials such as the following is highly recommended:
- Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) of EC Council
- CompTIA Security+
- CompTIA Network+
- Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
- NIST Cybersecurity Framework Training
- CyberSAFE CertNexus
Cybersecurity Employment Projections in Minnesota
Job opportunities for information security analysts (which is Minnesota’s occupational classification for cybersecurity professionals) are projected to increase by 23.8 percent from 2016 through 2026 in the state of Minnesota, per the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development. This makes the classification one of Minnesota’s fastest growing occupations. Such good news should spur you on even more to obtain your bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity in Minnesota, as a bright future is almost guaranteed!