In February 2020, it was reported that a ransomware attack infiltrated many nonprofit organizations within the state of Maine. The attack occurred against Blackbaud, a South Carolina company who creates online fundraising software used by nonprofit agencies. Some of the information compromised in this attack includes personal information of donors to these agencies and organizations.
As of September of 2020, nonprofit groups in Maine were still being notified that some of their donors’ personal information might have been compromised in this huge data breach. Maine organizations affected include LifeFlight of Maine, Northern Light Health Foundation, The Opportunity Alliance and the Maine Cancer Foundation.
LifeFlight’s spokespeople noted that some of the information that might have been compromised included fundraising, demographic and contact information of donors, but no credit card numbers or bank account numbers. The hackers were unable to access some of LifeFlight’s encrypted information, as their cybersecurity professionals apparently did an excellent job in encrypting the most sensitive information.
None of the affected nonprofit organizations in Maine have reported that their 20,000 donors have had personal information compromised and used. This could be due to good cybersecurity practices that have prevented cyber hackers from obtaining the most damaging information, or because of luck. Some of the nonprofit organizations in Maine are rethinking their association with Blackbaud after this massive data breach.
Working in the field of cybersecurity can definitely be a challenge, but it does have its rewards. Being able to protect important personal data and information from attacks such as these is just one of the rewards of a cybersecurity professional. If you are in Maine and the field of cybersecurity interests you, you should consider getting an associate degree or certificate in the field. Keep reading to discover how to do so.
Earning a Cybersecurity Associate Degree or Certificate in Maine
If you obtain an associate degree or certificate in cybersecurity in Maine, you may qualify for many entry-level jobs in the field such as:
- Cybersecurity Analyst (remote) – NTT Data Services, Augusta
- Security Analyst – NIC, Inc., Augusta
- Associate Cybersecurity Analyst – Tyler Technologies, Inc., Yarmouth
- Cyber Security Analyst – Ease Technologies, statewide
- System Security Risk Specialist, Intermediate – Eastern Maine Healthcare, Bangor
- Tyler Detect Security Analyst – Tyler Technologies, Inc., Yarmouth
- Cyber Security Operations Center Engineer- Humana, Portland
- Incident Response Analyst – PayPal, statewide
- Cybersecurity Analyst – Thrive Operations, LLC, Foxborough
- Information Systems Security Officer – Parsons Corporation, Castine
Associate Degree and Certificate Cybersecurity Programs in Maine
When you are selecting an associate degree or certificate program in cybersecurity in Maine, make sure that the school that houses the program is accredited by an agency listed with the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) .
Examples of Associate Degree Programs in Cybersecurity in Maine
Cybersecurity associate degree programs may be called by many different names. In Maine, some of these include:
- Associate in Applied Science in Cyber Security
- Associate of Applied Science in Cyber Security/Digital Forensics
- Associate of Applied Science in Computer Technology – Networking and Computer Repair Option
- Associate of Applied Science in Network Administration & Cybersecurity
- Associate of Science in Information Security
Centers of Academic Excellence (CAE)
The National Security Agency (NSA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has established the National Centers of Academic Excellence. The purpose of this program is to recognize exceptional cybersecurity certificate and degree programs in the U.S.
Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education in Maine
The following associate degree and certificate programs in Maine are considered Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education (CAE-CD):
- Southern Maine Community College – Associate in Applied Science in Cyber Security
South Portland Campus
2 Fort Road
South Portland, ME 04016
CAE- Cyber Defense Education- Accredited through 2024
Wendy Plourde, Co-Chair
(207) 741-5765; Wplourde@smccME.edu
- University of Maine at Augusta –
—Certificate in Cyber Forensics
Maine Cybersecurity Center
46 University Drive
Augusta, ME 04330
CAE- Cyber Defense Education- Accredited through 2024
Dr. Henry Felch, Director of Maine Cybersecurity Center and Program Chair
(207) 621-3371; henry.felch@maine.edu
Further Associate Degree and Certificate Programs in Cybersecurity in Maine
More associate degree and certificate cybersecurity programs exist in Maine, such as:
- Central Maine Community College – Associate of Applied Science in Cybersecurity/Digital Forensics
Accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education
1250 Turner Street
Auburn, ME 04210
(207) 755-5273; enroll@cmcc.edu
- Eastern Maine Community College – Associate of Applied Science in Computer Technology – Networking and Computer Repair Option
Accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education
354 Hogan Road
Bangor, ME 04401
(207) 974-4600
- Northern Maine Community College – Associate of Applied Science in Network Administration & Cybersecurity
Accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education
33 Edgemont Drive
Presque Isle, ME 04769
(207) 768-2700
- University of Maine at Fort Kent – Associate of Science in Information Security
Accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education
23 University Drive
Fort Kent, ME 04743
(207) 834-7500
Maine Associate in Cybersecurity Degree Program Coursework
Courses that you can expect to take in an associate cybersecurity degree program in Maine should include:
- Introduction to Computer Science
- Introduction to Information Security
- Introduction to Networking
- Network Security
- Operating Systems Security
- Cyber Defense
- Computer Forensics and Investigations
- Cryptography
More Cybersecurity Certificates in Maine
Other certificate programs in cybersecurity found in Maine include:
- Certificate of Graduate Study in Cybersecurity – University of Southern Maine
- Certificate in Cyber Security Technician – Northeast Technical Institute
- Graduate Certificate in Digital Curation – University of Maine (online)
- Graduate Certificate in Information Privacy Law – University of Maine
Cybersecurity Salaries in Maine
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) of the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) recently reported that the annual mean wage for information security analysts employed in Maine as of May 2019 was $87,590. Those working in the Lewiston and Auburn areas of the state earned slightly higher than average wages of $88,870; while those working in the Portland and South Portland metropolitan areas earned even higher wages per year of $89,610.