The 2020 Cyber Hygiene Risk Index, a survey on cybersecurity in the United States, recently gave Wisconsin a “D” grade when it comes to cybersecurity, online scams, viruses and cybercrime. This means that Wisconsinites lack good cyber hygiene and allow too much private personal and business data to fall into the hands of cyber criminals.
According to the 2019 Municipal Electric Utilities of Wisconsin Cybersecurity Summit, Wisconsin has fallen victim to 605 million filtered emails, 532 email phishing incidents, 36 million vulnerability scams, 41,000 attempts to exploit web apps, 93,000 preventive malware downloads, 108,000 attempts to break passwords, and 32,000 blocked malicious IP addresses.
The Wisconsin Emergency Response Plan provides for a statewide program of emergency management, including cyberattacks. The Cyber Incident Response Annex is part of the WERP, and offers guidance to state agencies and local governments regarding cyber threats and attacks, as well as resources to help them. There are three Cyber Response Teams assigned to cover Wisconsin. Team 1 covers the southeast and east central part of the state. Team 2 covers the northwest, northeast and west central part of the state. Team 3 covers southwest Wisconsin. Teams 4 and 5 are statewide teams, including the National Guard and private sector companies (such as Alliant Energy, Nextera Energies, WE Energies, Madison Gas and Electric, American Transmission Company, AT&T Communications, Cisco, and 5Nines).
The State of Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) lists data breaches that have been reported to them or have affected Wisconsin consumers at its website. Since 2020 began, at least five such data breaches have been reported. Most recently, on March 25, 2020, the US Small Business Administration experienced a data breach that affected an unknown amount of Wisconsin residents. The website lists information for Wisconsin residents to use to contact someone if they feel that they have been affected by a data breach.
If you would like to work in cybersecurity in Wisconsin, your first step is to attain a bachelor’s degree. Read on to discover how to set about doing this.
Cybersecurity Laws in Wisconsin
Wisconsin’s data breach notification laws were enacted in 2006. Under Wisconsin Statutes 134.98, entities that maintain or license personal information of Wisconsin citizens must notify affected individuals in case of a data breach if there is a material risk of identity theft or fraud. Notice must be made within a reasonable time, not more than 45 days after the breach. If more than 1000 people are affected, consumer reporting agencies must also be notified.
Cybersecurity Jobs in Wisconsin
A bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity in Wisconsin can help you to land jobs such as:
- Cyber Security Analyst, Threat & Vulnerability – Faith Technologies, Inc., Menasha
- Information Security Analyst IV – CUNA Mutual, Madison
- Cyber Security Analyst – State of Wisconsin, Dane County
- Cyber Security Engineer – Northwestern Mutual, Milwaukee
- IT Security Analyst – Integral Recruiting Services, LLC, Oconomowoc
- IT Security Engineer – Atos Syntel Inc., Madison
- Cybersecurity Manager- Oshkosh Corporation, Oshkosh
- IS Technical Services Specialist, Cyber Security – Wisconsin State Government, Juneau
- IT Cybersecurity Analyst – We Energies, Milwaukee
- Lead IT Security Analyst – Schneider, Green Bay
Wisconsin Bachelor’s Cybersecurity Programs
Above all else, make sure that the Wisconsin institution that you choose in which to get your bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity is accredited by a regional accreditation agency that is in the directory of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).
Bachelor’s Degree Cybersecurity Programs Offered in Wisconsin
Titles of degrees in Wisconsin include:
- Bachelor of Science in Computer Networking & Information Technology
- Bachelor of Science in Information & Communication Technologies
- Bachelor of Science in Applied Mathematics & Computer Science- Cybersecurity Concentration
- Bachelor of Science in Computer Science – Cybersecurity Minor or Concentration
- Bachelor of Business Administration in Information Technology Management
- Bachelor of Science in Information Science & Technology
Centers of Academic Excellence (CAE)
In 199, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and National Security Agency (NSA) created the National Centers of Academic Excellence program, which gives accolades to the best cybersecurity undergraduate and graduate degree programs in the nation.
Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education in Wisconsin
Wisconsin is home to this Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education (CAE-CD):
- University of Wisconsin Stout –
—Bachelor of Science in Computer Networking & Information Technology
—Bachelor of Science in Information and Communication Technologies (on campus or online)
—Bachelor of Science in Applied Mathematics & Computer Science- Cybersecurity Concentration
—Bachelor of Science in Computer Science
150 Communications Technologies Bldg.
712 South Broadway St.
Menomonie, WI 54751
CAE- Cyber Defense Education- Accredited through 2022
Holly Yuan, Program Director
(715) 232-1697; yuanh@uwstout.edu
Additional Bachelor’s in Cybersecurity Degree Programs in Wisconsin
There are more bachelor’s degree programs in cybersecurity in Wisconsin, such as:
- University of Wisconsin Milwaukee –
—Bachelor of Business Administration in Information Technology Management
—Bachelor of Science in Computer Science
—Bachelor of Science in Information Science & Technology
Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
College of Engineering & Applied Science
Milwaukee, Wi 53211
Susan McRoy, Chair
(414) 229-6695; mcroy@uwm.edu
- University of Wisconsin Whitewater –
—Bachelor of Business Administration in Information Technology
—Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, Minor in Cybersecurity
Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
800 W. Main St.
Whitewater, WI 53190-1790
Hien Nguyen, Chair
(262) 472-5170; nguyenh@uww.edu
Wisconsin Bachelor’s Degree Courses in Cybersecurity Program
Just as names of degree programs change from one university or college to the next, class titles might also change. Topics, however, usually stay the same and in a bachelor’s in cybersecurity program in Wisconsin, will include:
- Cyber technology ethics
- Networking Fundamentals
- Web and internet programming
- IP Telephony Design & Implementation
- Network Systems Design
- Wireless Systems
- Advanced Network Security & Auditing
- Network Security
- Cloud Computing Design, Implementation & Security
- Linux Systems & Network Administration
Cybersecurity Certifications in Wisconsin
According to a study funded by the National Security Agency (NSA), the following cybersecurity certifications are state-recognized in Wisconsin and are therefore recommended to pursue:
- Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)
- Certified Information Systems Security Auditor (CISA) (693 current cybersecurity job openings in Wisconsin require this certification)
- Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) (416 current cybersecurity job openings in Wisconsin require this certification)
- Cisco Certification Pathway
- Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) (Cyberseek notes that 973 current cybersecurity job openings in Wisconsin require this certification)
- Comp TIA Security+ (213 current job openings in Wisconsin require this certification)
- InfoSec Institute
- GIAC (Global Information Assurance Certification) Certified Incident Handler (GCIH) – (315 current job openings in Wisconsin require this certification)
- Palo Alto Networks Certifications
- Offensive Security Certified Professional (OSCP)
Projections for Cybersecurity Jobs in Wisconsin
The State of Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development reports to Separations Communications (in its Projections Central) that long-term occupational projections for cybersecurity professionals in Wisconsin are quite good. From 2018 to 2028, jobs for information security analysts in Wisconsin are projected to increase by 24 percent. According to Cyberseek.org, the top cybersecurity job titles as of 2020 are:
- Systems Engineer
- Cyber Security Architect
- Cyber Security Analyst
- IT Auditor
- Vulnerability Analyst/Penetration Tester
- Cyber Security Manager/Administrator
- Network Engineer/Architect
- Cyber Security Consultant
- Cyber Security Engineer
If you obtain a bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity in Wisconsin, the sky’s the limit as far as job opportunities that should be available to you!