In 2016 and 2017, more than 3500 South Carolina residents reported internet crimes to the FBI. Losses in 2016 due to cybercrime totaled $11 million, and in 2017, $13 million, per the FBI. The South Carolina General Assembly created the Division of Information Security in 2013 and charged it with overseeing statewide policies, standards and cybersecurity resources. The division created cyber education programs, modernized cybersecurity legislation, and instituted a centralized management system for cybersecurity in the state.
Regardless of these facts, South Carolina has still been a victim of cybercrime. In January 2018, the Spartanburg County Public Libraries were targeted by a ransomware attack. In December 2018, the Mount Pleasant Police Department’s computer system was infected with ransomware. Medical facilities and educational institutions across the state have also been victims of cyber attacks.
If cybersecurity interests you, and you would like to help fight cybercrime in South Carolina, getting an associate degree or certificate in the field is a great first step. Keep reading to discover how you can get started on the pathway to an exciting new career in cybersecurity in South Carolina.
Cybersecurity Law in South Carolina
In January 2019, South Carolina was the first state to enact the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC)’s new Insurance Data Security Mode Law. The bill, HB 4655 in South Carolina, requires all non-exempt insurance licensees, not just South Carolina domestic producers or carriers, to develop, implement and maintain a written and comprehensive information security program based on a mandatory cybersecurity risk assessment. It is applicable to any insurance carrier licensed to do business in South Carolina. The program that is implemented must contain technical, administrative and physical safeguards for protecting nonpublic information as well.
Cybersecurity Associate Degree or Certificate-Requiring Jobs Within South Carolina
The following entry-level cybersecurity jobs may be attainable in South Carolina with an associate degree or certificate:
- Security Analyst I – PhishLabs, North Charleston
- Cyber Security Analyst – Leidos, Columbia
- Cyber Security Analyst/Engineer – KBR, remote
- Information Security Specialist I – Greenville Health System, Greenville
- Information Security Specialist – SYNNEX, Greenville
- Cyber Security Analyst I – Scientific Research Corporation, North Charleston
- Cyber Security Analyst, Virtual Hosting Environment – SAIC, North Charleston
- Technical Support, Cyber Security – Volt Services Group, Columbia
- Security Analyst–Xylo Technologies, Inc., Clemson
- Security Analyst – RedSalsa Technologies, Inc., Columbia
South Carolina Cybersecurity Associate Degrees and Certificate Programs
When you are selecting a cybersecurity associate degree or certificate program, be sure that the program you choose is housed within an institution that is regionally or nationally accredited by an agency listed with the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).
Cybersecurity Associate Degrees in South Carolina
Titles of associate degrees in cybersecurity in South Carolina include:
- Associate in Applied Science in Cybersecurity
- Associate of Applied Science in Computer and Information Science- Concentration in Cyber and Information Security Technology
- Associate of Applied Science in Computer Technology, Networking/Cybersecurity
Centers of Academic Excellence (CAE)
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and National Security Agency (NSA) started the National Centers of Academic Excellence program in 1999 to highlight the best cybersecurity degree and certificate programs in the nation.
Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education in South Carolina
The following South Carolina cybersecurity degree and certificate programs have been chosen as Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education (CAE-CD) under the NSA-DHS National Centers for Academic Excellence program:
- The Citadel – Graduate Certificate in Cybersecurity
Department of Cyber and Computer Sciences
Center for Cyber, Intelligence & Security Studies
17 Moultrie Street
Charleston, SC 29409
CAE- Cyber Defense Education- Accredited through 2021
Dr. Shankar M. Banik, Contact
(843) 953-5039; shankar.banik@citadel.edu
- Trident Technical College –
—Associate in Applied Science in Cybersecurity
—Certificate in Applied Science Cybersecurity
Cyber Center
P.O Box 118067
Charleston, SC 29423
CAE- Cyber Defense Education- Accredited through 2024
Terry Richburg, Director, Network Systems Management & Cybersecurity
(843) 574-6111
- University of South Carolina – Graduate Certificate in Cyber Security Studies
Dept. of Computer Science & Engineering
M. Bert Storey Innovation Center, 1st and 2nd Floors
550 Assembly St.
Columbia SC 29201
CAE- Cyber Defense Education- Accredited through 2020
Dr. Jose M. Vidal, Undergraduate Chair
(803) 777-0928; vidal@sc.edu
More Cybersecurity Associate Degrees and Certificates in South Carolina
Other associate degree/certificate cybersecurity programs in South Carolina include:
- ECPI University– Associate of Applied Science in Computer and Information Science- Concentration in Cyber and Information Security Technology (online and on-campus) Accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACSCOC)
7410 Northside Drive #100
North Charleston, SC 29420
(843) 606-5902
- Horry Georgetown Technical College –
—Associate in Applied Science in Cybersecurity
Accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACSCOC)
Dept of Information Technology & Digital Arts
107 Community College Drive
Spartanburg, SC 29303
Stan Greenwalt, Contact
(843) 349-5237; Stanton.Greenwalt@hgtc.edu
- Spartanburg Community College –
—Associate of Applied Science in Computer Technology, Networking/Cybersecurity
—Certificate in Networking/Cybersecurity
Accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACSCOC)
Computer Technologies
107 Community College Drive
Spartanburg, SC 29303
Marcia Schenck, Dept. Chair
(864) 592-4839; schenckm@sccsc.edu
South Carolina Cybersecurity Courses in an Associate Degree Program
Although cybersecurity associate degree program classes will differ from one institution to another, in general, you can expect to take:
- College algebra
- Shell scripting
- Information systems security
- Cyber crimes and the law
- Network fundamentals
- Linux essentials
- Cisco networking concepts
- Computer forensics
- Fundamentals of network security
- IT and data assurance
Cybersecurity Certificates in South Carolina
Other certificate programs in cybersecurity across South Carolina include:
- Graduate Certificate in Cybersecurity – College of Charleston
- Professional Certificate in Cybersecurity – Anderson University
- Certificate in Cybersecurity – Piedmont Technical College
- Graduate Certificate in Cyber Security Studies – University of South Carolina
Cybersecurity Salary for Professionals in South Carolina
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) notes that as of May 2019, information security analysts working in the state of South Carolina earned an annual mean wage of $82,180. Those working in various areas of the state earned wages higher or lower than this state average, as is evident from the figures listed below:
- Anderson $85,220
- Beaufort $97,490
- Bluffton $97,490
- Charleston $93,640
- Columbia $78,970
- Florence $82,120
- Greenville $85,220
- Hilton Head Island $97,490
- Mauldin $85,220
- North Charleston $93,640
- Spartanburg $74,060