New Hampshire Senator Maggie Hassan, who is the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Federal Spending Oversight and Emergency Management, recently led hearings and virtual meetings on cybersecurity challenges that have been brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Denis Goulet, New Hampshire’s Commissioner of Information Technology, was appointed by Senator Hassan when she was the state’s governor, and noted during one of these meetings that, even though cyberattacks have become more common during the pandemic, states still are hesitant to invest more in cybersecurity. Many of them just don’t having the funding on their own, he said. Goulet has advocated for a federal grant to push states towards improving their cybersecurity measures. It is unclear whether his advice will be taken by the new incoming president in 2021, Joe Biden.
Although the state is small, New Hampshire is a leader when it comes to cybersecurity. It was one of the first states to establish a Cyber Integration Center in 2016, through executive order. It has also been at the forefront of tightening cybersecurity for K-12 education statewide.
Working in cybersecurity in New Hampshire can present some unique and challenges, and you can start on a path towards this by earning an associate degree or certificate in cybersecurity or a related field. If this sounds interesting to you, read on to discover how you can achieve this goal in the Granite State.
Cybersecurity Policy and Procedure in New Hampshire
Some of New Hampshire’s school districts have applied the NIST Cybersecurity Framework in guiding them in maintaining cybersecurity district-wide. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is a federal agency that provides best practices and policy for cybersecurity, among other things. Many states, including New Hampshire, are trying to tighten their student data security through applying the NIST Cybersecurity Framework to their cybersecurity infrastructure. Hillsboro-Deering School District in New Hampshire is one such entity that is using this framework to guide their cybersecurity procedures and policies. In the case of a cybersecurity incident, they must also notify the state attorney general if they can’t be sure that the data compromised won’t be used for nefarious purposes. Since many schools are going online due to the coronavirus pandemic, having a policy to follow in case of cybersecurity breaches is more important now than it has ever been. The NIST framework provides school districts with functions to perform in case of an incident, so that they can go through the steps methodically without panicking and making things worse.
Achieving an Associate Degree or Certificate in Cybersecurity in New Hampshire
Attaining an associate degree or certificate in cybersecurity in New Hampshire can help you to become eligible for jobs like:
- Network Security Analyst – Nexium, Inc., Nashua
- Cyber Security Professional- National Security Agency, Conway
- Entry-Level Security Services Consultant – IBM, Rochester
- Cyber Security Analyst – TechUSA, Rochester
- Information Security Analyst – American Express, Concord
New Hampshire Accreditation for Associate Degree and Certificate Programs in Cybersecurity
Associate degree and certificate programs in cybersecurity should be housed at schools that are accredited by a regional or national accreditation agency recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) .
Cybersecurity Associate Degrees Program Titles in New Hampshire
Associate degree programs in cybersecurity in New Hampshire include:
- Associate in Science in Cyber Security Infrastructure
- Associate in Science in Cybersecurity Investigations
- Associate in Science in Cybersecurity Networking
- Associate of Science in Cyber Security and Healthcare IT
Centers of Academic Excellence (CAE)
The National Security Agency (NSA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) started the National Centers of Academic Excellence to give special recognition to the best cybersecurity degree and certificate programs across the nation. Unfortunately, there are no associate degree or certificate programs that have been named Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education (CAE-CD) that are located in the state of New Hampshire.
However, there are other programs such as:
- Great Bay Community College – Associate in Science in Cyber Security Infrastructure
Accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE)
STEM and Advanced Manufacturing
Portsmouth Campus
320 Corporate Drive
Portsmouth, NH 03801
(603) 427-7600 x 7500; gbadmissions@ccsnh.edu
- Manchester Community College – Associate in Science in Cybersecurity Investigations
Accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE)
1066 Front St.
Manchester, NH 03102
(603) 206-8000
- Nashua Community College – Associate in Science in Cybersecurity Networking
Accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE)
STEM and Advanced Manufacturing
505 Amherst St.
Nashua, NH 03063
(603) 578-8908; nashua@ccsnh.edu
- River Valley Community College – Associate of Science in Cyber Security and Healthcare IT
Accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE)
STEM and Advanced Manufacturing
1 College Place
Claremont, NH 03743
Robert Morris, Contact
Associate in Cybersecurity Program Classes in New Hampshire
While coursework will vary from one cybersecurity program to the next, in New Hampshire, classes such as the following are commonly found in an associate degree in cybersecurity program:
- Computer Architecture & Operating Systems
- Network Basics
- Routing & Switching Essentials
- Linux Essentials
- Fundamentals of Cybersecurity
- Introduction to Programming
- Administering Windows Server
- Network Security Monitoring
- Scaling Networks
- Advanced Windows Servers
- CCNA Security
Cybersecurity Certificates in New Hampshire
There are also many cybersecurity certificate programs in New Hampshire at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, including, but not limited to:
- Cybersecurity Networking Certificate – Nashua Community College
- Cyber Security and Healthcare IT Certificate – River Valley Community College
- Information Technology Security Certificate – NHTI, Concord’s Community College
Salaries of New Hampshire Cybersecurity Professionals
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) of the U.S. Department of Labor, the yearly mean wage for information security analysts employed in New Hampshire as of May 2019 was $102,770. Those working in the Manchester metropolitan area earned lower average wages of $79,170. The future looks bright for cybersecurity professionals in New Hampshire, with a plethora of jobs expected to remain available to trained and talented individuals over the next decade.