Cybersecurity Bachelor’s Degree in Indiana

As of 2020, eighteen Indiana companies headquartered in the state of Indiana made the Fortune magazine list of the 500 businesses in the United States with the most revenue (otherwise known as the Fortune 500 list). Many of these companies employ cybersecurity professionals to protect their businesses, customers and data. A sampling of Indiana-headquartered Fortune 500 companies are:

  • CNO Financial Group – Carmel
  • Allison Transmission Holdings – Indianapolis
  • Wabash National – Lafayette
  • Eli Lilly – Indianapolis
  • Anthem – Indianapolis
  • OneMain Holdings – Indianapolis
  • Simon Property Group – Indianapolis

If you are interested in cybersecurity in Indiana, Ivy Tech Community College offers two free, non-credit courses: an Introduction to Cybersecurity course and a Cybersecurity Essentials Course. Should you decide to pursue a career in cybersecurity in Indiana, you will then want to embark upon a bachelor’s degree program in cybersecurity. Here, we will discuss the options you have when it comes to choosing a bachelor’s degree cybersecurity program in Indiana.

Indiana Cybersecurity Law

On January 9, 2017, Indiana’s Governor Eric J. Holcomb signed Executive Order 17-11 into law, creating the Indiana Executive Council on Cybersecurity (IECC). This group was given the momentous challenge of developing and maintaining a framework to establish goals, plans and best practices for cybersecurity to protect the state’s infrastructure. The state also passed the Indiana Cybersecurity Strategic Plan in 2018. Additionally, Indiana joined 37 other states in signing the National Governors Association’s Compact to Improve State Cybersecurity in 2017.

Completing Your Cybersecurity Education in Indiana

In order to obtain a good job in cybersecurity in Indiana, such as the following, you’ll need a bachelor’s degree:

  • Cybersecurity Engineer- Liberty Mutual Insurance, Indianapolis
  • Incident Response Analyst- Midcontinent Independent System Operator, Inc., Carmel
  • IT Quality Control Analyst- Brooksource, Indianapolis
  • IT Cybersecurity Specialist – US Department of Defense, Indianapolis
  • Security Analyst – Symplexity, Fort Wayne
  • Systems Endpoint Analyst – First Merchants Bank, Daleville

Bachelor’s Degrees Cybersecurity Programs in Indiana

Some of the bachelor’s degree cybersecurity programs you can find in Indiana are called:

  • Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity and Global Policy
  • Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Technology-Cybersecurity
  • Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity
  • Bachelor of Science in Cybercriminology and Security Studies
  • Bachelor of Applied Science in Cyber Security/Information Assurance

Indiana Bachelor’s Degree Cybersecurity Programs

Bachelor’s programs in cybersecurity usually are not accredited on a program basis. Instead, the institutions which house them are accredited by agencies that are recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). There are some exceptions, which are noted below.

Centers of Academic Excellence (CAE)

The National Security Agency (NSA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has created the National Centers of Academic Excellence program. Under their auspices, exceptional bachelor’s degree programs in cybersecurity are recognized as Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (CAE-CD).

Indiana Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education

The NSA and DHS have designated the following Indiana bachelor’s degree cybersecurity programs as Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education (CAE-CDE):

Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC)

2550 Northwestern Avenue, Suite 1100
West Lafayette, IN 47906

(844) PURDUE-G; (317) 208-5311

CAE-Cyber Defense Education – through 2025

College of Technology, The Center for Cybersecurity

Hammond Campus

2200 169th Street

Hammond, IN 46323

CAE- Cyber Defense Education- Accredited through 2024

Michael Tu, Ph.D., Director, The Center for Cybersecurity

(219) 989-2634; [email protected]

Curricula for Cyber Defense Education

These knowledge units are required to be covered by all CAE-CDs:

  • Foundational:
    • Components of IT Systems
    • Cybersecurity Foundations
    • Cybersecurity Principles
  • Technical Core:
    • Basic Cryptography
    • Basic Networking
    • Basic Scripting and Programming
    • Concepts of Operating Systems
    • Network Defense
  • Nontechnical Core:
    • Cyber Threats
    • Management and Planning in Cybersecurity
    • Policy, Legal, Ethics and Compliance
    • Security Program Management
    • Security Risk Analysis

Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC)

Department of Computer & Information Technology

401 N. Grant St.

West Lafayette, IN 47907

Angie Murphy, Senior Academic Advisor

(765) 496-6003; [email protected]

FEMA EMI Recommended Bachelor’s Degree Programs in Indiana

The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Emergency Management Institute (FEMA EMI) has recommended certain bachelor’s degree programs relating to homeland security. They include:

Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering

107 S. Indiana Ave.

Bloomington, IN 47405

CAE- Cyber Defense Education- Accredited through 2021

(812) 855-4848; [email protected] 

School of Computer Sciences

1600 E. Washington Blvd.

Fort Wayne, IN 46803

Darryl Togashi, Program Lead

(260) 422-5561

More Indiana Bachelor’s Degree Cybersecurity Programs

There are additional bachelor’s degree cybersecurity programs in Indiana to consider, like:

Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC)

Department of Computer Science

1100 E. Fifth Street

Anderson, IN 46012

Dr. Jennifer Coy, Chair

(800) 428-6414; [email protected]

Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC)

School of Criminology and Security Studies

200 N 7th St.

Terre Haute, IN 47809-1902

(888) 488-0959

Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC)

School of Arts & Letters

4201 Grant Line Road

New Albany, IN 47150

(812) 941-2333

Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC)

4201 S. Washington St.

Marion, IN 46953

(866) 468-6498

Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC)

Dept. of Computer Science & Engineering

236 W. Reade Ave.

Upland, IN 46989

(765) 998-5162; [email protected]

Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC)

College of Liberal Arts

8600 University Blvd.

Evansville, IN 47712

(812) 464-1855

Program Accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP)

Institution Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC)

College of Business and Public Service

1002 North First Street

Vincennes, IN 47591

(812) 888-5323; [email protected]

Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC)

College of Information Technology

333 N. Alabama St. #250

Indianapolis, IN 46204

(855) 948-8493

Cybersecurity Professional Certifications in Indiana

After you have your bachelor’s degree, consider pursuing professional certification(s) in cybersecurity in Indiana. Many jobs require certifications such as:

  • Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)
  • EC Council Computer Hacking Forensics Investigator (CHFI)
  • Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA)
  • CyberSec First Responder

Cybersecurity Employment in Indiana

According to the Indiana Department of Workforce Development, jobs for computer systems analysts (including cybersecurity analysts) in Indiana are expected to increase by 13.5 percent by 2026. The Indiana Executive Council on Cybersecurity continues to work to attract cyber companies to the state, as well as raise awareness about cybersecurity education and increase the state’s cybersecurity workforce. If you are interested in working in the challenging and exciting field of cybersecurity in Indiana, your future is quite promising.