New York City houses 8.5 million people as well as a thriving, diverse commercial industry. Therefore, the strength of its digital infrastructure is key to the day-to-day functioning of the city. New York City is also home to 45 Fortune 500 headquartered companies and has become the global epicenter of many financial institutions. Cybersecurity in New York City and within the state is critical to the financial success of not only the city, but also the state, country and the world.
The goal, according to the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC), is to create a self-sustaining cybersecurity ecosystem in the city. The dream is that this cybersecurity ecosystem will attract and develop talent and technological innovations, now and for years to come. This would guarantee the cybersecurity of the city in the present and in the future.
NYCEDC launched Cyber NYC, a private-public partnership of $100 million designed to make New York City an international cybersecurity hub. It is vital that New York City, as well as the state, be able to attract talented, trained cybersecurity professionals to fill the many positions that exist now and will exist for years to come. Keep reading to discover how you can enter the field of cybersecurity in New York with an associate degree or certificate.
New York Cybersecurity in the News
In July 2020, it was announced that the New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS) was filing cybersecurity charges against a provider of title insurance, alleging that the provider had exposed millions of documents containing personal, sensitive information of customers. These were the first charges to be filed under DFS’ cybersecurity regulation, Part 500 of Title 23 of the New York Codes, which went into effect in March 2017. The charges were filed against Nebraska company First American Title Insurance Company, saying that they exposed consumers’ bank account numbers, tax records and mortgage records, Social Security numbers, driver’s license photos and wire transaction receipts. These breaches occurred between October 2014 and May 2019. It was ultimately discovered during penetration testing in December 2018. The company was found to be in violation of six provisions of the state’s cybersecurity regulation. If found liable for this violation, First American Title Insurance Company could pay up to $1000 per violation.
Cybersecurity Jobs Open to Associate Degree Holders in New York
Cybersecurity jobs may often be attainable with an associate degree or certificate. In New York, these jobs qualify:
- Software Security Engineer – Innovation Associates, Johnson City
- IT Security Consultant – Datrose, Inc., New York City
- Cyber Security Specialist – New York Air National Guard, New Hartford
- Information Security Analyst – White Ops, New York City
- Cyber Security Analyst – US Army, Bay Shore
- WiFi/Security Engineer – Technosoft Corporation, Nassau
- IT Consultant – Southern Tier Graphics, Jamestown
- Firewall Consultant – Vaco, New York City
- Risk and Investments IT Business Systems Developer- Global Atlantic Financial Group, New York City
- Cyber Operations Specialist – US Army, Bronx
Cybersecurity Associate Degree Programs in New York
Titles of some associate degree in cybersecurity programs in New York include, but are not limited to:
- Associate of Science in Computer Science – Cybersecurity
- Associate of Applied Science in Cybersecurity
- Associate of Science in Cyber Security Systems
- Associate of Science in Computer Forensics
- Associate of Occupational Studies in Network Administration and Security
Cybersecurity Associate Degree and Certificate Programs in New York
When you are choosing an associate degree or cybersecurity certificate program in New York, make sure that the institution you choose is accredited by an agency that is listed with the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).
Centers of Academic Excellence (CAE)
The National Security Agency (NSA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) started the National Centers of Academic Excellence program to recognize extraordinary associate degree and certificate programs in cybersecurity as Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (CAE-CD).
New York’s Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education
These associate degrees and certificates in cybersecurity programs in New York have been designated as Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education (CAE-CDE):
- Mohawk Valley Community College –
—Associate of Science in Computer Science: Cybersecurity
Cyberlab
1101 Sherman Drive
Utica, NY 13501
CAE- Cyber Defense Education- Accredited through 2021
James Rice, Cybersecurity Faculty
(315) 792-5653; jrice@mvcc.edu
- Rockland Community College, State University of New York — Associate of Applied Science in Cybersecurity
Dept. of Science, Technology, Engineering & Math
145 College Road
Suffern, NY 10901
CAE- Cyber Defense Education- Accredited through 2022
Jeanette Geller, Chair
(845) 574-4577; jgeller@sunyrockland.edu
New York’s FEMA EMI Recommended Associate Degree Programs
The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Emergency Management Institute (FEMA EMI) endorses the following associate degree program in New York:
- Broome Community College, State University of New York – Associate of Science in Homeland Security
907 Front St.
Binghamton, NY 13905
Kerry Weber, Contact
(607) 778-5139; weberkc1@sunybroome.edu
New York’s Other Associate Degree/Certificate Programs in Cybersecurity
Other associate degree/certificate cybersecurity programs in New York include:
- Long Island University, Riverhead Campus –- Advanced Certificate in Cyber Security (graduate level)
Accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)
Homeland Security & Terrorism Institute
121 Speonk-Riverhead Rd.
Riverhead, NY 11901-3499
(631) 287-8010
- St. John’s University – Associate of Science in Cyber Security Systems
Accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)
Department of Cybersecurity, Western New York Cybersecurity Research Center
110 Walsh Science Center
St. Bonaventure, NY 14778
Dr. Hossein Sarrafzadeh, Director
(716) 375-2089
- State University of New York, Westchester Community College –
–Associate of Applied Science in Cybersecurity
Accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)
75 Grasslands Road
Valhalla, NY 10595
John Watkins, Curriculum Chair
(914) 606—8519; john.watkins@sunywcc.edu
Cybersecurity Associate Degree Courses in New York
Although titles of associate degrees in cybersecurity vary from one school to the next in New York, class topics and concepts generally are similar. They include:
- Computer Information Systems
- Networking for Business
- Object Oriented Programming Logic
- Data Management Systems
- Computer Hardware
- Server Administration
- PC Operating Systems
- Networking Security
- Computer Forensics
- Computer Penetration Testing
- Principles of Investigation
- Business Communications
Cybersecurity Certificates in New York
Certificates at the undergraduate and graduate levels abound at colleges and universities throughout New York. Some of them include:
- Advanced Certificate in Information Assurance (graduate level) – University at Buffalo
- Certificate of Graduate Study in Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity – SUNY at Albany
- Advanced Certificate in Cybersecurity (online) – Rochester Institute of Technology
- Advanced Certificate in Security & Information Assurance – Pace University New York
New York Cybersecurity Salaries
New York is the highest-paying state in which information security analysts work. As of May 2019, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), they were earning an average annual wage of $121,750. This is $17,000 higher than the average national salary for the position. Additionally, New York has the fourth-highest employment level of information security analysts in the nation. The New York City-Newark NJ- Jersey City NJ metropolitan area pays its cybersecurity analysts even more, at an annual salary of $127,850.