The FBI’s Internet Crimes Complaint Center recorded over $8.1 million in reported losses in Wyoming due to cybercrime in 2019. Cybersecurity in Wyoming is not mandated by law, although, as with many other laws not officially on the books in Wyoming, the state tends to follow federal law in such matters.
Wyoming’s Department of Enterprise Technology Services is responsible for security the state’s cyber networks and data. They also provide cyber training for state employees and agencies. However, according to a 2019 study by Comparitech, Wyoming is ranked last when it comes to cybersecurity protections. It had only one of the cyber protections out of the 20 that the study was looking for in each state. This is due to the fact that Wyoming’s cyber laws are lacking the basic protections that pretty much every other state has, let alone more advanced protections many other states have. For example, Wyoming does not require companies to get rid of users’ personal data after a certain period of time. Employers are not banned from forcing employees to hand over their passwords to social media accounts. Wyoming also does not have protections on its K-12 student data. Also, from 2017 to 2018, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) discovered that the state’s monetary losses due to cybercrime doubled.
If you are interested in making a difference in the exciting, emerging, vital field of cybersecurity and live in Wyoming, consider getting a bachelor’s degree. This is often enough to enter the cybersecurity job field and land a high-paying, interesting technological position in Wyoming! Read on to discover how you can do so.
Cybersecurity in the News in Wyoming
In 2020, amid the coronavirus crisis, the Wyoming State Library and Wyoming Cybersecurity Action Network (CAN) Committee teamed up to offer free cybersecurity educational programs to libraries. CAN is a volunteer group of Wyomingites who are trying to raise cybersecurity awareness and promote information and education in the state. The educational programs being offered are called “cyber-in-a-box,” using the existing network of the state’s library system. At the time of this writing, the group was seeking grant funding to build up and implement the program.
Additionally, after learning that cybersecurity attacks have increased by 400 percent during the coronavirus crisis, the CyberWyoming Alliance, a nonprofit organization, is providing cybersecurity information to vulnerable senior citizens in the state. Working in conjunction with the Amerian Association of Retired Persons (AARP), the Wyoming Department of Aging and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), cybersecurity information is being sent to Wyoming’s seniors with their meal deliveries. This is part of the CyberWyoming Alliance’s efforts to improve cyber hygiene across Wyoming. They are also seeking donations from the public to assist them in their continued efforts to increase cyber awareness in Wyoming.
Cybersecurity Jobs in Wyoming
If you earn a bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity in Wyoming, you may become eligible for jobs like:
- Government Relations Associate Director Cybersecurity – Accenture, Cheyenne
- IT Specialist (Information Security) – US Department of Veterans Affairs, Cheyenne
- IT Security Specialist – Bank of Jackson Hole, Jackson
- RMF Security Analyst – Latitude, Inc., Cheyenne
- Security Analyst Forensics Remediation – Defiant, Gillette
- Information Security Analyst – SpotMe, Casper
- Control Systems Analyst Cybersecurity – Rawlins
- Cloud Security Engineer- Change Healthcare, Star Valley Ranch
- US Army Cyber Operations Specialist – US Army, Shirley Basin
- Information Systems Security Officer II – Tcecure LLC, FE Warren AFB
Undergraduate Cybersecurity Programs in Wyoming
When you are searching for a college or university bachelor’s degree program in cybersecurity in Wyoming, make sure that the school that you choose holds regional accreditation through an agency that is listed with the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).
Centers of Academic Excellence (CAE)
The National Security Agency (NSA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has established a program to highlight the best undergraduate and graduate cybersecurity degree programs in the country. That program is called National Centers of Academic Excellence.
Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education in Montana
Although Wyoming is not home to any CAE-CDs, neighboring states do house them. Some of them include:
Montana:
- University of Montana (partnership with Missoula College and Excelsior College) – Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity (hybrid)
(Must have an AAS in IT-Network Administration & Security in order to qualify for this program)
Applied Computing & Engineering Technology
909 South Ave West
Missoula, MT 59801
CAE- Cyber Defense Education- Accredited through 2022
(406) 243-7805
South Dakota
- Dakota State University – Bachelor of Science in Cyber Operations
(also CAE-CO accredited – see below)
The Beacom College of Computer & Cyber Sciences
820 N. Washington Ave.
Madison, SD 57042
CAE- Cyber Defense Education- Accredited through 2022
(888) DSU-9988
Nebraska
- Bellevue University – Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity (on campus and online)
Center for Cybersecurity Education
1000 Galvin Road South
Bellevue, NE 68005
CAE- Cyber Defense Education- Accredited through 2021
Dr. Mary Dobransky, Director
(402) 557-7160; dobransky@bellevue.edu
- University of Nebraska Omaha – Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity
College of Information Science & Technology, School of Interdisciplinary Informatics
Peter Kiewit Institute 172
1110 South 67th St.
Omaha, NE 68182
CAE- Cyber Defense Education- Accredited through 2021
(402) 554-3819
Wyoming’s Bachelor’s in Cybersecurity Degree Programs
One bachelor’s degree program exists in the cybersecurity area in Wyoming:
- University of Wyoming – Bachelor of Science in Computer Science – Concentration in Cybersecurity
Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
Accredited by ABET
Dept. of Computer Science
1000 E. University Ave.
Laramie, WY 82071
James Caldwell, Dept. Head
(307) 766-5190
Cybersecurity and Computer Science Courses in a Wyoming Program
Courses that you can expect to take in the computer science and cybersecurity area in Wyoming include:
- Computer Networks
- Computer Security
- Database Systems
- Computer Science I & II
- Computer Organization
- Software Design
- Functional Programming
- Algorithms & Data Structures
- Ethics in Computer Professionals
- Linux Programming
- Operating Systems Design
- Foundations of Computing
- Principles of Programming Languages
Cybersecurity Certifications in Wyoming
In addition to a bachelor’s degree, cybersecurity professionals in Wyoming often need industry-specific certifications in order to qualify for certain jobs. Common cybersecurity certifications in Wyoming include:
- Certified Banking Cybersecurity Manager (FFIEC Cybersecurity Assessment Tool)
- CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst+
- Certified Banking Ethical Hacker
- Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA)
- Certified Information Privacy Professionals (CIPP)
- Certified Banking Forensics Investigator
- Global Information Assurance Certification (GIAC)
- Certified Banking Incident Handler
- Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
- Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)
Employment Projections for Cybersecurity Positions Throughout Wyoming
Per the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services, job opportunities for information security analysts (the occupational title for cybersecurity professionals) across Wyoming are expected to increase by 19.2 percent from 2018 through 2028. According to Zippia.com, as of 2020, the average annual salary for information security analysts in Wyoming is $70,064. Those earning in the highest ten percent can make $107,000. Not bad for a job that can typically be entered into with just a bachelor’s degree!