Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center (IMEC) announced in September 2020 that, in honor of National Cybersecurity Awareness Month in October, it was launching a cybersecurity webinar series to help Illinois manufacturers who are defense contractors meet Department of Defense cybersecurity requirements in order to be able to maintain their contracts. Their six-part “Cybersecurity Resiliency for Defense Contractors Webinar Series” will help teach Illinois manufacturers the practical steps to protect their company’s sensitive data and meet Defense Department requirements.
IMEC has partnered with Alpine Security and the Defense Acquisition University in the production of this webinar series. Alpine Security works in educating Illinois manufacturers on cybersecurity requirements of the Department of Defense, which can sometimes be daunting and confusing to manufacturers. The main hang-up for many of these manufacturers is the new CMMC, Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification, that combines many cybersecurity standards and best practices required by the Department of Defense.
Titles of upcoming topics in the webinar series includes Cybersecurity Compliance – Real Company Examples, Cyber Security: What Are Your Risks? And Laying the Foundation: The Need for Cybersecurity in U.S. Manufacturing. The series will run from October 8 through November 12.
If you have an interest in working within the field of information security and live in Illinois, you might want to consider getting a certificate or associate degree in cybersecurity. Keep reading to find out how you can set about doing so.
Illinois Cybersecurity Law
The Illinois Information Security Improvement Act established the Office of Statewide Chief Information Security Officer to serve as the state’s strategic planning facilitator and coordinator. Passed in 2018, it provides cybersecurity services to support agencies. Additionally, this law requires the state Auditor General to review state agencies and their cybersecurity programs, practices and policies, focusing especially on agencies that hold large amounts of personal information of Illinois citizens.
Cybersecurity Jobs for Associate Degree and Certificate Holders in Illinois
With associate degree or certificate in hand, you may be eligible for cybersecurity jobs in Illinois such as:
- Entry Level Information & Cybersecurity – Northern Trust Corporation, Chicago
- Cybersecurity Analyst – Nigel Frank International, Chicago
- Cyber Security Analyst – Trace Systems, Inc., Scott AFB
- Associate Information Systems Security Specialist – AT&T, Collinsville
- Information Security Analyst – Hub International, Chicago
- CyberSecurity Analyst – John Deere, Moline
- Information Security Analyst – Wintrust, Rosemont
- Security & Privacy Analyst – Google, Chicago
- Cyber Intel Analyst – Lockheed Martin, Scott AFB
- Security Analyst – Alzheimer’s Association, Chicago
Associate Cybersecurity Degree Titles in Illinois
Titles of some of the associate degrees in cybersecurity available in Illinois are:
- Associate of Applied Science in Cybersecurity & Defense
- Associate in Applied Science in Cybersecurity/Information Assurance
- Associate in Applied Science in IT Security Specialist
- Associate of Applied Science in Data Assurance & IT Security
Illinois Associate Degree and Certificate Cybersecurity Programs
When you are choosing an associate degree or certificate program in cybersecurity in Illinois, make sure that the institution housing the program holds accreditation by a regional accreditation agency that has been 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) created the National Centers of Academic Excellence program in 1999 to recognize the best cybersecurity education programs in the U.S.
Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education in Illinois
These Illinois associate degree and certificate cybersecurity programs have been designated Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education (CAE-CD):
- College of DuPage – Associate of Applied Science in Cybersecurity & Defense
Center for Cyber Defense Education
425 Fawell Blvd.
Glen Ellyn, IL 60137
CAE- Cyber Defense Education- Accredited through 2022
Dr. Felix Davis, Coordinator, CIT program
(630) 942-2134; [email protected]
- Illinois Institute of Technology –
—Cyber Security Technologies (Professional Certificate) (Graduate)
—Cybersecurity Technologies (Certificate) (Graduate)
—Cyber-Physical Systems (Certificate) (Graduate) (online)
—Cyber Security Management (Professional Certificate) (Graduate)
—A+, Network+ with Cyber Security (Professional Certificate) (Graduate)
College of Computing, Dept. of Information Technology & Management
10 West 35th Street
Chicago, IL 60616
CAE- Cyber Defense Education- Accredited through 2020
Maurice E. Dawson, Director, Center for Cyber Security & Forensics Education
(312) 567-5242; [email protected]
- John A. Logan College – Associate in Applied Science in Cyber-Security/Information Assurance
Center for Information Assurance
700 Logan College Drive
Carterville, IL 62918-2500
CAE- Cyber Defense Education- Accredited through 2021
Mark Rogers, Contact
- Lincoln Land Community College – Certificate of Achievement in Cybersecurity
Cyber Center
5250 Shepherd Road
Springfield, IL 62794-9256
CAE- Cyber Defense Education- Accredited through 2023
Dr. Carmen Allen, Professor, Computer Science
(217) 786-2316; [email protected]
- Moraine Valley Community College –
—Associate in Applied Science in IT Security Specialist
—Network Security Associate Certificate
—Network Security Specialist Certificate
Dept. of Computer Integrated Technologies
9000 W. College Pkwy.
Palos Hills, IL 60465-2478
CAE- Cyber Defense Education- Accredited through 2020
John Sands, Contact
(708) 974-5426; [email protected]
- Rock Valley College –
—Associate of Applied Science in Data Assurance & IT Security
—CISCO CCNA Security Certificate
—CISCO CCNP Security Certificate
3301 North Mulford Road
Rockford, IL 61114
CAE- Cyber Defense Education- Accredited through 2024
(815) 921-4000
Illinois Cybersecurity Associate Degree Curriculum
CAE-CD associate degree programs must include certain core knowledge units in order to maintain recognition. The following course areas will be covered in any associate degree CAE-CD program:
- Basic Data Analysis
- Basic Scripting
- Cyber Defense
- Cyber Threats
- Fundamental Security Design Principles
- Information Assurance Fundamentals
- Introduction to Cryptography
- IT Systems Components
- Networking Concepts
- Policy, Legal, Ethics & Compliance
- System Administration
Cybersecurity Certificates in Illinois
In addition to the certificates listed above, other cybersecurity certificates available in Illinois include:
- Undergraduate Certificate in Cybersecurity (online) – Elmhurst University
- Graduate Certificate in Information Assurance & Security – Illinois State University
- Certificate of Achievement in Cybersecurity – Joliet Junior College
- Certificate of Achievement in Network Security Specialist – Joliet Junior College
- Cyber Security Certificate –McHenry County College
- Information Security Postbaccalaureate Certificate online – Purdue University Global
Salaries for Cybersecurity Professionals in Illinois
Per the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the annual mean wage for information security specialists working in the state of Illinois as of May 2019 was $102,780. This is close to the national average of $104,210 for this profession. Those working in the metropolitan area of Chicago/Naperville/Elgin earned a slightly higher average salary of $103,130; as did those working in Bloomington, who averaged yearly take-home pay of $106,650.