In October 2020, it was announced that a cyberattack caused ongoing, major network problems for the University of Vermont Health Network and its six hospitals within Vermont and New York. When the attack was first discovered, the University of Vermont Medical Center says it shut down its entire system, including all patient information, so that it would not be compromised. It also required some elective procedures to be rescheduled. It appears that no patient or employee data was accessed or compromised at the system’s Canton-Potsdam, Gouverneur or Massena hospitals. The FBI and Department of Homeland Security are investigating the incident with the Vermont Department of Public Safety.
Earlier in May of 2020, a ransomware cyberattack targeted Vermont Legal Aid’s computer system, locking its data. It took Vermont Legal Aid several weeks to become fully operational again.
These two incidents point to the importance of cybersecurity, not just in Vermont but all over the world. Cyber crimes can only be fought competently when professionals have received the proper training and education in information security policies, procedures and techniques. Getting an associate degree or a certificate in the field of cybersecurity can be a great first step along the way to starting a career in cybersecurity in Vermont. If this sounds interesting to you, keep reading.
Cybersecurity Law in Vermont
Amendments to Vermont’s data breach law, as well as a new student privacy law, went into effect in the state on July 1, 2020. Vermont’s Security Breach Notice Act was amended to expand the definition of Personally Identifiable Information (PII) to now include taxpayer identification numbers, passport numbers, military ID card numbers; unique biometric data such as fingerprints, retina or iris images; genetic information; and heath or wellness records. In addition, a breach now includes login credentials, including user name, password and security questions, that together, permit access to a person’s account. In limited circumstances, the amendments also allow for substitute notice to be given if providing direct notice to those breached via writing, telephone or email would exceed $10,000 or if the data collector does not have sufficient information to contact the persons whose data was breached.
Vermont’s Student Data Privacy law prohibits website operators, online services and online applications from targeting advertising based on private, personal information; using information gathered by their sits/service to amass a profile about the student; sell, barter or rent a student’s information; and disclose covered/protected information. These operators must also maintain reasonable security procedures and practices to safeguard information; delete a student’s covered information if asked to by a school or school district; and publicly disclose/provide a school with material about what information the operator has collected.
Vermont Cybersecurity Careers Attainable with an Associate Degree or Certificate
Information security jobs that may be attainable with an associate degree or certificate in Vermont include:
- Information Technology Specialist – North Country Hospital, Newport
- Security Analyst – PayPal, Montpelier
- Security Operation Analyst – NuHarbor Security, remote
- Security Administrator – Green Mountain Power, Colchester
- Information Assurance Analyst – NuHarbor Security, remote
- Information Security Risk Analyst – People’s United Bank, Williston
- Information System Security Officer – Lockheed Martin Corporation, South Burlington
Cybersecurity Programs in Vermont
Make sure that whatever you do, you choose a cybersecurity program in Vermont that is housed within an accredited college or university. The school that you select should be regionally or national accredited by an agency listed with the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).Centers of Academic Excellence (CAE)
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and National Security Agency (NSA) established the National Centers of Academic Excellence program in 1999 to designate the finest cybersecurity programs in the United States.
Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education in Vermont
Vermont cybersecurity programs that have been designated as Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education (CAE-CD) under the NSA-DHS National Centers for Academic Excellence program include:
- Champlain College –
—Cybersecurity Fundamentals Undergraduate Certificate (online)
—Advanced Cybersecurity Undergraduate Certificate (online)
—Computer Forensics & Digital Investigations Undergraduate Certificate (online)
—Digital Forensic Science Graduate Certificate (online)
—Incident Response Undergraduate Certificate (online)
Cybersecurity & Digital Forensics
163 S. Willard St.
Burlington, VT 05401
CAE- Cyber Defense Education- Accredited through 2022
Adam Goldstein, Program Director
(802) 860-2700; agoldstein@champlain.edu
- Norwich University –
—Graduate Certificate in Computer Forensics Investigation/Incident Response Team Management (online)
—Graduate Certificate in Vulnerability Management (online)
—Graduate Certificate in Critical Infrastructure Protection & Cyber Crime (online)
—Graduate Certificate in Cyber Law & International Perspectives on Cyber Crime (online)
Online Studies
158 Harmon Drive
Northfield, VT 05663
CAE- Cyber Defense Education- Accredited through 2022
Huw O.L. Read, Contact
(802) 485-2007; hread@norwich.edu
More Cybersecurity Programs in Vermont
Other programs in cybersecurity in Vermont at the certificate level include:
- Community College of Vermont – Cybersecurity Fundamental Certificate (online) Accredited by the New England Commission on Higher Education (NECHE)
P.O. Box 489
Montpelier, VT 05601
(800) 223-6686
- The University of Vermont – Computer Software Certification – Cybersecurity Track (online and on campus) Accredited by the New England Commission on Higher Education (NECHE)
Continuing & Distancer Education
322 South Prospect St.
Burlington, VT 05401
(800) 639-3210
- Vermont Technical College – Cybersecurity Certificate (online) Accredited by the New England Commission on Higher Education (NECHE)
School of Engineering and Computing
P.O. Box 500
124 Admin Drive
Randolph Center, VT 05061
(800) 442-8821
Vermont Cybersecurity Salary
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) of the U.S. Department of Labor maintains occupational statistics for information security analysts (the technical term for cybersecurity analysts) employed all over the country. According to them, as of May 2019, information security analysts working in Vermont earned an annual mean wage of $83,490. Those working in the Burlington and South Burlington metropolitan areas earned slightly higher than state average salaries of $87,040.