It was reported that in June 2020, the city of Keizer, Oregon was forced to pay a $48,000 ransom to regain control over its computer network, which was taken over during a cyberattack. The town was not able to access its computers for seven days. Although they tried to recover the encrypted files, they were unable to do so, and eventually had to pay the demanded ransom in order to get their computer network back.
Similarly, in January 2020, Tillamook County was forced to pay a $300,000 ransom to regain information that was taken by cyber criminals during a ransomware attack. County commissioners voted to negotiate with the cyber attackers to receive an encryption key after they failed at recovering the data themselves.
Both of these cyber attacks point to the importance of cybersecurity and encryption of data. Even with these practices in place, attacks can still occur, but if one is properly trained in cybersecurity, it might be possible to prevent them from happening in the first place. If you live in Oregon and want to work in the field of cybersecurity to make a difference, keep reading. You will discover how you can obtain an associate degree or certificate in cybersecurity and take your first step towards a new career.
Cybersecurity in the News in Oregon
Unfortunately, Oregon made the list — in a recent article on the 10 biggest healthcare data breaches of 2020, that is. During 2020, a laptop was stolen from Health Share of Oregon’s transportation vendor, GridWorks. Health Share, which is the state’s largest Medicaid coordinated care organization, was forced to notify 654,000 patients that their data had been stolen. This data contained patient names, dates of birth, contact details, and Medicaid ID numbers. After this breach, Health Share updated its annual audit processes with its third-party vendors and contractors, and was said to be improving its workforce training in cybersecurity. This incident just shows that, no matter how stringent an organization’s cybersecurity policies may be, it must always be concerned with the security procedures and processes of all third-party vendors and contractors with which it works.
Cybersecurity Jobs in Oregon Requiring an Associate Degree or Certificate
An associate degree or certificate in cybersecurity could help you to obtain cybersecurity jobs in Oregon such as:
- Junior Security Analyst – Mosaic451, LLC, Portland
- Security Analyst – Varonis, Portland
- Entry-Level Threat Monitoring Analyst – Swan Island Networks, Portland
- Information Cyber Security Analyst – Mosaic451, LLC, Portland
- Cyber Security Analyst – Apex Systems, Hillsboro
- Information Security Analyst – Maximus, Coquille
- Remote Security Engineer- SignalFx, Eugene
- Security Metrics Analyst – Humana, Salem
- Entry-Level Security Services Consultant- IBM, Salem
Cybersecurity Degrees and Certificates in Oregon
When choosing an institution in Oregon at which to pursue your associate degree or certificate in cybersecurity, ensure that it has been regionally or nationally accredited by an agency recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).
Cybersecurity Associate Degrees Attainable in Oregon
The following cybersecurity degrees are currently available at the associate level in Oregon:
- Associate of Applied Science in Cybersecurity
- Associate of Applied Science in Cybersecurity: Networking and Security Operations
- Associate of Applied Science in Cybersecurity: Penetration Testing
- Associate of Applied Science in Computer Network Operations- Computer Network Security
- Associate of Applied Science in Computer Information Systems: Cybersecurity
Centers of Academic Excellence (CAE)
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and National Security Agency (NSA) created the National Centers of Academic Excellence program in 1999 to highlight the best cybersecurity degree and certificate programs in the United States.
Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education in Oregon
These Oregon cybersecurity associate degree and certificate programs are called Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education (CAE-CD) under the NSA-DHS National Centers for Academic Excellence program:
- Chemeketa Community College – Associate of Applied Science in Cybersecurity
Center for Cybersecurity
4000 Lancaster Drive NE
Salem, OR 97305
CAE- Cyber Defense Education- Accredited through 2025
Mandy Reininger, CIS Instructor
(503) 365-4822; https://www.chemeketa.edu/contactus/email.html/?who=mandy.reininger
- Mt. Hood Community College –
—Associate of Applied Science in Cybersecurity: Networking and Security Operations
—Associate of Applied Science in Cybersecurity: Penetration Testing
—Secure Network Technician Certificate
—Network and Firewall Security Technician Certificate
—Advanced Certificate in Business Cyber Vulnerability Analyst
—Certificate in Business Computer Fundamentals
—Certificate in Business Cybersecurity Practical Implementation
Information Systems and Technology Management – Cyber Security and Networking Program
26000 SE Start St.
Gresham, OR 97030
CAE- Cyber Defense Education- Accredited through 2024
Dr. Wayne Machuca, Faculty Adviser
(503) 491-7631; Wayne.Machuca@mhcc.edu
- Portland Community College –
—Associate of Applied Science in Cybersecurity
—Certificate in Cybersecurity Fundamentals
Cybersecurity Center
Sylvania Campus
12000 SW 49th Ave
Portland, OR 97219
CAE- Cyber Defense Education- Accredited through 2023
Mark Goodman, CIS Department Chair
(971) 722-4074; marc.goodman@pcc.edu
- Portland State University –
—Professional Certificate in Building Cyber Resistance
—Graduate Certificate in Cybersecurity
Center for Public Service, Mark O. Hatfield Center for Cybersecurity
1825 SW Broadway
Portland, OR 97201
CAE- Cyber Defense Education- Accredited through 2025
(503) 725-3000
Additional Associate Degree Cybersecurity Programs in Oregon
In addition to the CAE programs listed above, the following associate degree cybersecurity programs are available in Oregon:
- Lane Community College – Associate of Applied Science in Computer Network Operations– Computer Network Security Accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU)
Dept. of Computer Information Technology
4000 East 30th Ave
Eugene, OR 97405
Christopher Rehn, Dean
(541) 463-5221
- Umpqua Community College – Associate of Applied Science in Computer Information Systems: Cybersecurity Accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU)
Dept. of Computer Information Systems
1140 Umpqua College Rd.
Roseburg, OR 97470
John Blackwood, MS, Associate Professor
(541) 440-7686; https://www.umpqua.edu/computer-information-systems/get-started?view=form
Oregon Cybersecurity Associate Degree Program Courses
Although classes will vary from one institution to the next, in Oregon, you can expect to take the following courses in a cybersecurity associate degree program:
- Digital Literacy
- Fundamentals of Web Design
- Programming Concepts
- Cybersecurity and Safety
- Computer Hardware
- Computer Operating Systems
- Scripting Languages
- Unix/Linux
- Client-Server Networks
- College Algebra
Oregon Cybersecurity Certificates
In addition to the cybersecurity certificates listed above, the following certificates are also available in Oregon:
- Certificate in Cyber Security and Digital Forensics- Linfield University
- Undergraduate Certificate in Cybersecurity – Oregon State University
- Career Pathway Certificate of Completion in Cybersecurity – Central Oregon Community College
- Cybersecurity Certificate of Completion – University of Oregon
Cybersecurity Salary for Professionals in Oregon
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) of the U.S. Department of Labor notes that as of May 2019, information security analysts working in Oregon made an annual mean wage of $98,550. Those working in the Portland/Vancouver/Hillsboro area earned higher than average annual wages of $100,960; while those working in the Eugene area earned slightly lower than average wages of $90,430; as did those working in the Salem area, earning slightly lower than average wages of $93,230.