Virginia is home to over 650 cybersecurity companies, the most per capita of any state in the country. Virginia’s success in cybersecurity also is related to its proximity to the nation’s capital, Washington, D.C. Additionally, the state has been an early adopter of cybersecurity technologies and works within an innovative, unique, collaborative, cooperative model of shared security and resilience.
Virginia was the first state in the nation to adopt the federal cybersecurity standards of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Cyber Framework. It was also the first state to declare itself an Information Sharing and Assessment Organization (ISAO), the first state to require security on debit or credit card present transactions, and the first state to enact landmark digital identity legislation, now used as a model by other states.
Virginia is home to a plethora of cybersecurity degree and certificate programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Today, the state houses 13 Centers of Academic Excellence recognized under the National Security Agency (NSA) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) National Centers of Academic Excellence program.
If you would like to join the exciting world of cybersecurity, getting an education in Virginia is a good place to start. Keep reading to discover how you can benefit from obtaining an associate degree or certificate in cybersecurity in Virginia.
Cybersecurity Law in Virginia
Virginia passed landmark legislation on digital identity in SB 814. This is now used as a model for other states when they are considering enacting digital identity laws. Virginia also established authority and accountability for cybersecurity in state agencies through the passage of new legislation on the role of agency heads, through SB 1121. Executive Directive 5 adopted the Advanced Credit Card Standard for Security, and the state also passed seven additional pieces of legislation to improve its ability to prosecute cybercrime and develop cybersecurity policies.
Cybersecurity Jobs for Associate Degree and Certificate Holders in Virginia
Associate degrees and certificates in cybersecurity can help you land entry-level jobs in the information security profession in Virginia. Examples of cybersecurity jobs available for those with an associate degree in Virginia include:
- Cyber Security Operations Center Countermeasures- Capital One, McLean
- Cybersecurity Policy & Compliance Analyst – Booz Allen Hamilton, Virginia Beach
- Cybersecurity Analyst – General Dynamics Information Technology, Charlottesville
- Cyber Security Engineer- CACI International, Norfolk
- Cyber Security Analyst – Microsoft, Reston
- Cyber Security Analyst – Cornerstone Defense, McLean
- Cyber Security Analyst – ECS, Fort Belvoir
- Junior-Mid Level Cyber Security Analyst – CGI Federal, Fort Belvoir
- Cyber Security Analyst – SAIC, Reston
- Cyber Security Analyst – Marathon TS Inc., Springfield
Cybersecurity Associate Degrees Available in Virginia
Associate degree programs in cybersecurity in Virginia include, but are not limited to:
- Associate of Applied Science in Cybersecurity
- Associate of Science in Cybersecurity Engineering
- Associate of Applied Science in Information Systems Technology – Cybersecurity
- Associate of Science in Computer & Information Science – Cyber & Network Security concentration
Virginia Associate Degree and Certificate Cybersecurity Programs
Remember, when you are selecting an associate degree or certificate cybersecurity program at a Virginia college or university, be sure that the school holds accreditation through an agency that is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).
Centers of Academic Excellence (CAE)
The National Security Agency (NSA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) began the National Centers of Academic Excellence program in 1999. It recognizes cybersecurity degree and certificate programs as Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (CAE-CD).
Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education in Virginia
These Virginia associate degree and certificate cybersecurity programs are designated as Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education (CAE-CDE):
- Danville Community College –
—Certificate in Cybercrime Investigations
Information Technology CyberCenter
1008 South Main Street
Danville, VA 24541
CAE- Cyber Defense Education- Accredited through 2022
Steven Carrigan, Director
(434) 797-8528; steven.carrigan@danville.edu
- Lord Fairfax Community College –
– Associate of Applied Science in Cybersecurity
—Associate of Science in Cybersecurity Engineering
—Cybersecurity Career Studies Certificate
Dept. of Computer & Information Technology, Cybersecurity Center
6480 College St.
Warrenton, VA 20187
CAE- Cyber Defense Education- Accredited through 2021
Dr. Henry J. Coffman, CISSP
- Northern Virginia Community College –
—Associate of Applied science in Cybersecurity
—Cybersecurity Career Studies Certificate
CyberCenter
4001 Wakefield Chapel R.
Annandale, VA 22003
CAE- Cyber Defense Education- Accredited through 2020
Dr. Margaret Leary, Chair
- Southwest Virginia Community College – Career Studies Certificate in Cybersecurity (online)
Cybersecurity Center
724 Community College Road
Cedar Bluff, VA 24609
CAE- Cyber Defense Education- Accredited through 2024
Michael Brown, Assoc. Professor
(276) 964-7703; michael.brown@sw.edu
- Thomas Nelson Community College –
—Associate of Applied Science in Information Systems Technology – Cybersecurity
—Career Studies Certificate – Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity Center
99 Thomas Nelson Drive
Hampton, VA 23666
CAE- Cyber Defense Education- Accredited through 2022
Michael Mann, Associate Professor
(757) 825-2817; mannm@tncc.edu
- Tidewater Community College –
—Associate of Applied Science in Cyber Security
—Certificate in Information Systems Technology
—Career Studies Certificate in Cyber Security
—Career Studies Certificate in Cyber Security & Networking Foundations
Cyber Center
Green District Administration Bldg.
121 College Place
Norfolk, VA 23510
CAE- Cyber Defense Education- Accredited through 2021
Bill Clement
(757) 822-7124; wclement@tcc.edu
Courses in an Associate Degree Cybersecurity Program in Virginia
Courses that you should plan to take in an associate cybersecurity degree program in Virginia are:
- Introduction to Network Concepts
- Software Design
- Microcomputer Operating Systems
- Unix I
- Network Security Basics
- Personal Computer Hardware and Troubleshooting
- Internet/Intranet Firewalls and e-Commerce Security
- Network Attacks, Computer Crimes and Hacking
- Legal Topics in Network Security
Cybersecurity Certificates in Virginia
There are many cybersecurity certificates you can obtain at the graduate and undergraduate levels in Virginia. Some of them include:
- Applied Cyber Security Graduate Certificate – George Mason University
- Post-Baccalaureate Secure Computer and Database Systems Certificate – James Madison University
- Undergraduate Certificate in Information Security – Radford University
- Professional Certificate in Cybersecurity- University of Richmond
Virginia Cybersecurity Salary
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) notes that Virginia had the highest employment level for information security professionals in the nation as of May 2019, at 15,010. Their average wage was one of the highest as well, at $114,760, making Virginia the fourth-highest paying state in the nation for cybersecurity professionals. One area of Virginia paid information security analysts even higher than the state average, as you will note below:
- Washington (DC)/Arlington/Alexandria: $117,810