Cybersecurity Programs in Wyoming

We’ve lassoed up a list of cyber security degrees from the Cowboy State. Read on to learn about Wyoming’s on-campus and online cyber security programs as well as cyber security events and jobs.

Studying Cyber Security in Wyoming

The state’s governor, Matt Mead, is trying to make University of Wyoming a cyber defense hub. The first step is providing funding to the Department of Computer Science to incorporate information assurance into the curriculum. The school will then apply with the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security to become the state’s first Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense. As of 2017, that was still in the development stages. Here are some schools currently running programs in cyber security:

• Casper College recognizes that not every student wants to turn an associate degree into a baccalaureate. Therefore, students can choose between two programs – the Associate of Science in Computer Security designed for transfer, and the Associate of Applied Science, designed as a standalone credential. The main difference is that the former packs in more general education credits. If you choose the latter and decide later to continue your studies, you’ll have to take more general education credits as an upperclassman.
• Two Laramie County Community College faculty are on the advisory board of the National Cybersecurity Student Association (NCSA). They have formed a chapter on the LCCC campus so students can attend conferences, participate in research, and network with professionals at NCSA events.

Online Cyber Security Programs in Wyoming

Two schools – Sheridan College and Laramie County Community College – offer associate and/or certificate programs in the discipline. Until the state’s only major four-year institution, University of Wyoming, gets in the cyber security game, online baccalaureate and graduate degree seekers will have to look out of state.

Online Associate Degrees in Cyber Security

Laramie County Community College’s Associate of Applied Science in Cybersecurity is heavy on networks so that graduates can find employment as IT administrators. One bonus of the program is the culminating capstone project, which is rare in an associate program. The AAS in Cyber Security at Sheridan College, meanwhile, provides the same level of hands-on experience with business networks and servers as LCCC’s program. Instead of a capstone, however, students complete an internship, which can lead to employment. Graduates should learn all they need to ace the basic CompTIA Security+ and Cisco CCNA Security exams, as well as more advanced credentials, such as the (ISC)2 CISSP.

Online Certificate Programs in Cyber Security

Scrap the internship and half the courses from Sheridan College’s associate program and you’re left with the Cyber Security Certificate program. Ideally, students who earn this certificate move on to a corresponding associate program. If not, they’ll still be able to sit for the CompTIA Security+ and Cisco CCNA Security certifications, although not the more advanced ones.

Cyber Security Scholarships in Wyoming

The most common place to find cyber security scholarships is through school foundations. More graduates attaining cyber security degrees means more alumni funding scholarships like the one below:

Sheridan College

• Jeanette L. Heptner Scholarship: Students from any of the school’s four computer technology programs, including Cyber Security, are automatically considered for this award. The annual amount given is $3,750, but this may be split between multiple students.

Cyber Security Events in Wyoming

Cyber Security Conferences & Workshops in Wyoming

With a small and scattered population, Wyoming doesn’t have the resources to host many conferences, although there are a few. The Wyoming Global Technology Summit sponsored by the Jackson Hole Technology Partnership, is one example. Cheyenne residents are best served by studying our Colorado guide to see what events are within driving distance. Wyomingites not up for an out-of-state journey have to wait until spring for the following event:

• Wyoming Cybersecurity Symposium: The Wyoming Business Report launched this annual one-day event (for businesses, naturally) in 2016. Attendees at the Cheyenne symposium can sit in on panels filled with IT experts from across the state. Topics cover the latest security threats and what businesses should be doing to stop them.

Cyber Security Jobs in Wyoming

Wyoming has the lowest job demand concentration for cyber security workers in the country and the highest supply/demand ratio. Translation: There aren’t many openings and there are enough people to fill them. Still, with no cyber security programs above the associate level in Wyoming, students with four-year degrees in related areas should have no problem scoring interviews.

One of the state’s biggest employers is Warren Air Force Base near Cheyenne. It’s charged with controlling the country’s intercontinental ballistic missiles but doesn’t hand out big defense contracts. Therefore, if you want a job in information security at Warren,  you’ll have to join the military. Across the state, cyber security jobs are diffuse, with no one company dominating the market. Look to two of the state’s bigger IT firms for openings: Green House Data, which conducts security audits for clients from its Cheyenne headquarters, or Medicine Bow Technologies, which monitors security for hospitals, businesses, educational institutions and government agencies from locations in Laramie and Casper.