Oklahoma is the 20th largest state in the nation, covering 69,903 square miles. The first town to have electricity in the United States was in Oklahoma – Vinita, which is also the oldest incorporated town in Oklahoma. Another technological innovation from Oklahoma was the invention of voicemail, by Gordon Matthews of Tulsa, OK, in the 1970s.
Although it might not appear to be technologically important at first glance, Oklahoma is a technologically friendly state. It is home to many tech startups, such as Happily of Oklahoma City, Whiteboard Technology of Oklahoma City, and Vigilant Aerospace also of Oklahoma City. In addition, Oklahoma is home to five Fortune 500 companies, including NGL Energy Partners, Oneok, Devon, Chesapeake, and Williams.
Cybersecurity is important to all Oklahomans and all companies doing business in the state, technologically minded or not. Therefore, cybersecurity has become a big concern to everyone in Oklahoma. The Oklahoma Cyber Command is under the direction of the Oklahoma Office of Management and Enterprise Services Information Services division. This organization holds the heavy responsibility of safeguarding all of Oklahoma’s data and computer infrastructure against hacks, changes, damage and loss. The three main goals of the Cyber Command are to prevent cybercrimes or cyber events from happening; to identify threats and risks and respond to them as quickly as possible; and to manage exposure and incident response and restore continuity, mitigating any damage that does occur and restoring services as soon as possible.
If you would like to break into the field of cybersecurity in Oklahoma but don’t know where to begin, getting a bachelor’s degree is a good first step. Keep reading to discover how to set upon this quest.
Cybersecurity Law in Oklahoma
On November 1, 2008, House Bill 2245 was signed into Oklahoma law. It stated that all corporations, businesses, and any legal entity that does business in Oklahoma and owns or licenses computerized data including private information of Oklahoma residents, must notify parties of a security breach as soon as possible when it occurs. If this statute is violated, the Oklahoma Attorney General is authorized to bring a civil penalty up to $150,000 against the party.
Key privacy laws in Oklahoma include:
- Security of Communications Act, making it a felony to intercept any communication (wire, oral or electronic)
- Student Data Accessibility, Transparency and Accountability Act, restricting access to student information held by the Oklahoma State Dept. of Education to authorized staff, district personnel, students and parents, and authorized staff of other agencies.
- Identity Theft, making it unlawful for anyone to obtain another’s personal identifying information with intent to defraud
Cybersecurity Positions in Oklahoma
A bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity in Oklahoma can help you to land jobs like:
- Cyber Security Specialist – Boeing, Oklahoma City, Norman and Mustang
- Special Agent: Cybersecurity/Technology- Federal Bureau of Investigation, Oklahoma City
- Cyber Security Analyst – UDT, Oklahoma City
- Cyber Security Analyst – CGI Federal, Lawton
- Cyber Security Architect – MidFirst Bank, Oklahoma City
- Cyber Security Analyst – Archon Resources, Tahlequah
- Federal IT Specialist Infosec – Air National Guard, Oklahoma City
- Network Security Analyst – OSU, Oklahoma City
- Network Security Analyst – Oklahoma State University, Stillwater
- Emergency Management Specialist (Cybersecurity)- Chloeta, Chloeta
Undergraduate Cybersecurity Degrees in Oklahoma
The most important aspect when you are choosing a college or university for your undergraduate cybersecurity education is to ensure that the institution you select is regionally accredited by an agency recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) .
Cybersecurity Degrees in Oklahoma
Titles of bachelor’s degree programs in cybersecurity in Oklahoma include:
- Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in Management Information Systems, Information Assurance Option
- Bachelor of Science in Computer Science- Cybersecurity Minor
- Bachelor of Science in Information Technology- Cybersecurity Minor
- Bachelor of Science in Cyber Security
- Bachelor of Technology in Information Technologies- Cybersecurity & Digital Forensics
Centers of Academic Excellence (CAE)
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and National Security Agency (NSA) has created the National Centers of Academic Excellence program to highlight the best undergraduate and graduate cybersecurity degree programs in the United States.
Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education in Oklahoma
The following Oklahoma cybersecurity bachelor’s degree programs have been named as Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education (CAE-CD) under the NSA-DHS National Centers for Academic Excellence program:
- Oklahoma State University – Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in Management Information Systems, Information Assurance Option
Spears School of Business, Dept. of Management Science & Information Systems
449 Business Bldg.
Stillwater, OK 74078
CAE- Cyber Defense Education- Accredited through 2021
Tara Wolfe, Admin. Support Specialist II
(405) 744-3551; tara.wolfe@okstate.edu
- University of Tulsa –
—Bachelor of Science in Computer Science- Cybersecurity Minor
—Bachelor of Science in Information Technology- Cybersecurity Minor
College of Engineering & Natural Sciences, Institute for Information Security
800 S. Tucker Drive
Tulsa, OK 74104
CAE- Cyber Defense Education- Accredited through 2020
John Hale, Contact
(918) 631-2745; john-hale@utulsa.edu
More Cybersecurity Bachelor’s Degree Programs in Oklahoma
Additional Oklahoma bachelor’s cybersecurity degree programs are:
- Cameron University – Bachelor of Science in Information Technology – Concentration in Cyber Security/Information Assurance
Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
Dept. of Computer & Technology
Howell Hall, Room 104
2800 W. Gore Blvd.
Lawton, OK 73505
(580) 581-2335; compandtech@cameron.edu
- Northeastern State University – Bachelor of Science in Cyber Security
Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
Criminology, Justice Studies & Global Security Dept.
Tahlequah Campus, Seminary Hall 307
600 N. Grand Ave.
Tahlequah, OK 74464
Dr. John W. Clark, Ph.D., Dept. Chair
(918) 444-3520; clarkiii@nsuok.edu
- Oklahoma Christian University – Bachelor of Science in Computer Science with Cybersecurity
Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
2501 E. Memorial Road
Oklahoma City, OK 73013
(800) 877-5010; info@oc.edu
- Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology – Bachelor of Technology in Information Technologies- Cybersecurity & Digital Forensics (online)
Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
1801 E 4th St.
Okmulgee, OK 74447
(800) 722-4471; information@okstate.edu
CAE-CD Required Knowledge Units
In order to maintain qualification as a CAE-CD under the Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education, programs must offer classes incorporating these Required Knowledge Units (RKUs):
- Non-technical core courses:
- Security risk analysis
- Security program management
- Policy, ethics, legal and compliance
- Cybersecurity planning and management
- Cyber threats
- Technical core courses:
- Operating systems concepts
- Network defense
- Basic scripting and programming
- Basic networking
- Basic cryptography
- Foundational courses:
- Information Technology systems components
- Cybersecurity principles
- Cybersecurity foundations
Cybersecurity Certifications in Oklahoma
In addition to a bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity, holding certain cybersecurity certifications in Oklahoma can greatly benefit your future career. Some of the most common certifications in Oklahoma include:
- CISSP: Certified Information Systems Security Professional
- CompTIA Security+
- CompTIA CASP+
- CompTIA PenTest+
- CompTIA A+ Essentials
- SSCP Systems Security Certified Practitioner
Employment Projections for Cybersecurity Workers in Oklahoma
The Oklahoma Employment Security Commission notes in its Occupational Projections 2016 to 2026 that job opportunities for information security analysts, the classification which includes cybersecurity professionals, are expected to increase by 19.1 percent statewide. It is expected that there will be an average of 60 annual openings in this job title across Oklahoma each year. In the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Statistical Area, the change is projected to be even greater, with a projected increase of 21.1 percent in jobs for information security analysts. These statistics bode well for those who decide to obtain a bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity in Oklahoma.