Cybersecurity Bachelor’s Degree in Utah

Cybersecurity is an innovative technology and an exciting new facet of the information technology industry in Utah. This is partly due to Utah’s growing economy and concentration of top international companies. Whatever the reasons, cybersecurity is definitely expanding in Utah, and now is a great time to consider obtaining your bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity from one of Utah’s top colleges or universities.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that as of 2016, the annual average salary for information security analysts (which is just another name for cybersecurity professionals) in Utah was $84,500 (this figure represents the top three percent of all wage earners in Utah). Utah’s Governor, Gary Herbert, noted that Utah now has its own “Silicon Slopes,” the area in which information technology and software development firms are clustered along Utah’s Wasatch Front. Companies within this area that are often recruiting new cybersecurity talent include Totem, qnectU and Tanner LLC.

Additionally, Utah now has some top-notch cybersecurity educational programs at its colleges and universities, ranging from the certificate level to the graduate degree level. Some programs offer online study, which is very attractive to many of today’s busy working students.

It is hoped that by 2022, students in Utah’s public school system will have access to improved computer science courses, under the state’s Computer Science Task Force. Under House Bill 227, the Utah Computer Science Grant Act would allow professional development grants to be given to local school districts to train teachers in computer science. Utah’s public schools also offer a Career and Technical Education Career Pathway for Cybersecurity, outlining the coursework necessary to go from high school to working in the cybersecurity field.

If you would like to join the cybersecurity professionals working in the Salt Lake state, your first step is to attain a bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity. Read on to discover how you can get started along this pathway to success.

Cybersecurity in the News in Utah

Recently, in July 2020, the new Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) Global Operations Center West was inaugurated at Hill Air Force Base in Utah. Its aim is to upgrade cybersecurity best practices across the Department of Defense, and instill Zero Trust Reference Architecture, to show DOD organizations how to upgrade technology they already have, converting systems that currently rely on a single line of defense to a layered defense based upon zero trust. This plan will take time as well as incorporation of new principles and analytics with existing ones. To that end, the DISA and NSA are holding a series of workshops with agencies to teach people how the existing systems work and can be modified to zero trust.

Utah Cybersecurity Jobs

Job openings across Utah in cybersecurity have included:

  • Cyber Security Analyst- Leidos, Salt Lake City
  • Cyber Security Analyst – DXC Technology, Salt Lake City
  • A-10 Cybersecurity Specialist – KBR, Clearfield
  • Cybersecurity Analyst – AT&T, Ogden
  • IT Specialist (Information Security) – US Navy, Hill AFB
  • Cybersecurity Analyst – Vangarde, Farmington
  • Cyber Security Engineer – ManTech, Clearfield
  • Cyber Information Systems Security Analyst – Northrop Grumman, Clearfield
  • Internet Security Researcher – HEROIC Cybersecurity, Provo
  • Associate Cyber Info Systems Security Analyst – Northrop Grumman, Corinne

Cybersecurity Bachelor’s Programs in Utah

Accreditation is the key to finding a good cybersecurity program at the bachelor’s degree level in Utah. Make sure that the institution that you choose is regionally accredited by an agency listed with the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) .

Titles of Bachelor’s Degree Programs in Cybersecurity in Utah

The following bachelor’s-level cybersecurity programs can be found in Utah:

  • Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity
  • Bachelor of Science in Information Systems- Cybersecurity Emphasis
  • Bachelor of Science in Information Technology-Computer Forensics & Security Emphasis
  • Bachelor of Science in Network Management Technology
  • Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity & Information Assurance
  • Bachelor of Science in Computer Science- Cybersecurity Emphasis

Centers of Academic Excellence (CAE)

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and National Security Agency (NSA) created the National Centers of Academic Excellence program to designate exceptional cybersecurity degree programs across the country.    

Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education in Utah

The very first CAE program in the entire nation was named in Utah, at Brigham Young University, in 2012. The bachelor’s in cybersecurity programs listed below in Utah have been named as Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education (CAE-CD) under the NSA-DHS National Centers for Academic Excellence program:

College of Engineering, School of Technology

265 CTB

Provo, UT 84602

CAE- Cyber Defense Education- Accredited through 2021

Dale Rowe, Contact

(801) 422-6051; [email protected]

Dept. of Computer Science & Information Systems

351 W. University Blvd.

Cedar City, UT 84720

CAE- Cyber Defense Education- Accredited through 2023

Nathan Barker, Dept. Chair

(435) 586-5415; [email protected]

Further Bachelor’s in Cybersecurity Degree Programs in Utah

More cybersecurity bachelor’s degree programs in Utah include:

Accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU)

College of Science, Computer Science Dept.

Main 423

Logan, UT 84322

Myra Brown, Academic Advisor

(435( 797-0527; [email protected]

Accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU)

800 West University Parkway

Orem, UT 84058

(801) 863-8888

Accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU)

Ogden, UT 84408

(801) 626-6000

Accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU)

4001 700 E. #300

Salt Lake City, UT 84107

(801) 274-3280

Utah Cybersecurity Bachelor’s Degree Courses

Coursework will vary, of course, from one Utah institution to the next. However, topics in a bachelor’s in cybersecurity program are similar and usually include:

  • Data Structures & Algorithms
  • Fundamentals of Web-Based Information Technology
  • Database Principles & Applications
  • Information Assurance & Security
  • Digital Forensics
  • Cybersecurity and Penetration Testing
  • System Administration
  • Cyber Physical Systems
  • Mathematical Cryptography
  • Computer Architecture & Organization

Utah Cybersecurity Certifications

Cybersecurity certifications are recommended, in addition to your bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity in Utah. They will help you become eligible for even more jobs. Popular ones in Utah include:

  • CEH – Certified Ethical Hacker
  • CHFI – Computer Hacking Forensics Investigator
  • CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst + (CySA+)
  • CertNexus – CyberSec First Responder (CFR), CyberSAFE
  • CyberCENTS

Occupational Projections for Cybersecurity Positions in Utah

According to Utah’s Department of Workforce Services, jobs within the computer and mathematical occupational group in Utah are projected to increase by an average rate of 4.4 percent per year from 2016 to 2026. It is projected that there will be approximately 50 new job openings each year for information security analysts statewide, and that job classification will have a 5.2 percent growth rate every year from 2016 to 2026. The future looks very bright for those who obtain a bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity in Utah and go to work in the exciting field of information security!