On April 21, 2019, Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, a municipally-owned airport in Cleveland, Ohio, fell victim to a cyberattack. Malware attacked the airport’s computer systems, causing the baggage and flight information boards in the airport to go dark. This outage lasted for five days. The malware remains unspecified to this day.
This is just another example of the increase in cyberattacks on municipalities across the United States. It is actually believed by many municipal cybersecurity experts that such cyberattacks have not increased; rather, the municipalities are just becoming more public about these attacks, due to government regulations requiring them to go public when these attacks occur.
The only thing that will help these municipalities help themselves, besides hiring more trained and educated cybersecurity professionals, is to get more money from the federal government to fund cybersecurity efforts. Not just larger cities, but all sizes of municipalities, should benefit equally from federal monies allocated to local governments to protect cybersecurity.
If you would like to work in the field of cybersecurity in Ohio, getting an associate degree or certificate is a great first step to take. Keep reading to discover what you can do to set yourself on this path.
Cybersecurity News in Ohio
The Ohio Secretary of State’s Office announced in August 2020 that it is turning to hackers to help find the weaknesses in the state’s election computer systems. These cybersecurity researchers, called “good guy hackers,” are invited to search the state’s computer systems for flaws and vulnerabilities, without taking sensitive data or damaging any systems. The researchers are sworn to secrecy about the vulnerabilities they do find, being mandated to notify the state but not allowed to publish their findings for at least 120 days. This will give the state of Ohio time to fix the problems in their election computer systems prior to the presidential election in November 2020. Ohio provided all 88 of its county election boards with $40,000 each in federal grant money in order to strengthen cybersecurity prior to the election.
Ohio Cybersecurity Associate Degree and Certificate Holder Job Options
Many cybersecurity jobs in Ohio are attainable with an associate degree or certificate. They may include:
- Cyber Intel Analyst – Lockheed Martin, Columbus
- Cybersecurity Specialist, Medical Devices Security – Cleveland Clinic, Beachwood
- Cybersecurity Consultant – Dice, Columbus
- Cyber Security Analyst – American Business Solutions, Columbus
- Cyber Threat Analyst – Booz Allen Hamilton, Blue Ash
- Sr Staff Cyber Security Architect – General Electric, Cincinnati
- Cyber Security Specialist – KODI, Columbus
- Junior Cyber Security Specialist – Government Acquisitions, Inc., Brook Park
- Remote Network Security Analyst – Virtual Vocations, Akron
- Information Security Analyst – Big Lots, Columbus
Cybersecurity Associate Degrees in Ohio
There are many different names for associate degrees in cybersecurity. In Ohio, they include (but aren’t limited to):
- Associate of Applied Science in CyberSecurity/Information Assurance Technology
- Associate of Applied Science in Computer Software Development – Cybersecurity Option
- Associate of Applied Science in Computer Science- Cybersecurity Major
- Associate of Applied Science in Computer Information Systems/Secure System Administration
- Associate of Applied Science in Systems & Networking Support
- Associate of Applied Science in Computer Information Systems
- Associate of Applied Science in Network Security
Cybersecurity Associate Degree and Certificate Programs in Ohio
When you are searching for associate degree and certificate cybersecurity programs in Ohio, be sure to choose one that is housed within an institution that is accredited by an agency 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) created the National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education (CAE-CDE) program to recognize outstanding cybersecurity associate degree and certificate programs.
Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education in Ohio
These Ohio cybersecurity programs are CAE-CDEs:
- Clark State Community College –
—Associate of Applied Science in CyberSecurity/Information Assurance Technology
—Associate of Applied Business in Computer Software Development-Cybersecurity Option
—CyberSecurity Short-Term Technical Certificate
P.O. Box 570
Springfield, OH 45501-0570
CAE- Cyber Defense Education- Accredited through 2022
Danis Heighton, Contact
(937) 328-6116; heightond@clarkstate.edu
- Columbus State Community College —Associate of Applied Science in Computer Science- Cybersecurity Major
Department of Computer Science, Cybersecurity Center
Center for Workforce Development, Room 356
315 Cleveland Ave.
Columbus, OH 43215
CAE- Cyber Defense Education- Accredited through 2024
Lawrence McWherter, Instructor
(614) 287-2535; lmcwherter@cscc.edu
- Sinclair College –
—Associate of Applied Science in Computer Information Systems/Secure System Administration
—Short-Term Technical Certificate in Information Systems Security
Division of Business & Public Services, Computer Information Systems Department, Cyber Center
Bldg. 5, Room 123
444 W Third St.
Dayton, OH 45402
CAE- Cyber Defense Education- Accredited through 2022
Kyle Jones, Contact
(937) 512-2177; kyle.jones4990@sinclair.edu
- Terra State Community College –
—Associate of Applied Science in Systems and Networking Support
—Associate of Applied Science in Computer Information Systems
2830 Napoleon Rd.
Fremont, OH 43420
CAE- Cyber Defense Education- Accredited through 2022
Haley Crabtree, Contact
(419) 559-2314; Hcrabtree01@terra.edu
Additional Associate Degree and Certificate Programs in Ohio
Other associate degree/certificate programs in cybersecurity in Ohio include:
- James A. Rhodes State College –
—Associate of Applied Science in Network Security
Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
Division of Business Technology & Public Service, Information and Emerging Technology
4240 Campus Drive
Lima, OH 45804
Diane Miller, Chair
(419) 995-8140; Miller.D@RhodesState.edu
- Wright State University – Graduate Certificate in Cyber Security
Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
College of Computer Science & Engineering
303 Russ Engineering Center
3640 Colonel Glenn Hwy.
Dayton, OH 45435
(937) 775-5131; cse-dept@wright.edu
Ohio Cybersecurity Associate Degree Program Courses
Classes that are common to most Ohio cybersecurity associate degree programs include:
- PC Hardware Essentials
- PC Operating Systems Essentials
- Introduction to Cybersecurity
- Security+
- Convergence Technology
- Security Professional I and II
- Introduction to Cisco Networks
- Introduction to Cisco Routing & Switching
- Introduction to Project Management
- Python Programming Fundamentals
- Scaling Networks (Cisco)
- Connecting Networks (Cisco)
Common Cybersecurity Certificates in Ohio
There are a wide variety of cybersecurity certificates offered at schools throughout Ohio, both at the graduate and undergraduate levels. They include:
- Undergraduate Cybersecurity Certificate – University of Cincinnati
- Graduate Certificate in Cyber Operations – University of Cincinnati
- Computer Forensics and Information Security Post-Secondary Certificate – Kent State University
- Graduate Certificate in Cyber Security – University of Toledo
- Cybersecurity Certificate – Walsh University
Salaries in Ohio for Cybersecurity
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) of the US Department of Labor says that as of May 2019, information security analysts in Ohio were making an annual mean wage of $96,550. In certain areas of the state, cybersecurity professionals earned higher than average wages, as noted below:
- Cleveland/Elyria: $97,800
- Columbus: $99,260
- West Northwestern nonmetropolitan area: $103,420