Louisiana

Louisiana Cyber Security Education Degrees & Requirements

Associate’s Degree

A two-year degree is a fantastic place to start your career. An associate degree in cyber security or similar can help you land an entry-level job. There are a number of high-quality associate degree programs in the country. In particular, look for programs that are accredited by the Centers in Academic Excellence (CAE). CAE is a program run by the National Security Agency and any degree from one of their approved programs will show employers that you are among the best.

Bachelor’s Degree

A four-year baccalaureate degree is the optimum foundation for a cyber security career. In four years, you will accrue the skills and knowledge to not only begin working in cyber security, but you will have the other soft skills you need to communicate cyber security protocols throughout your firm. You can also add to your degree with a minor or double major in fields such as Information Technology, Computer Science, or Database or Network Administration.

Master’s Degree

Nearly every top executive has a master's degree in some field. After a few years in the field you should start to consider an advanced degree in cyber security. There are many options, however. The most common master's degree in the c-suites is the MBA. As a cyber security expert, you should consider this degree, too. If you are able to take a few years off of work, you should consider a dual MBA program with a cyber security degree. With this type of degree program you'll be able to earn two graduate degrees, one MBA and one in cyber security, in the same amount of time it takes to earn a single degree.

Certifications in Louisiana

If you are working hard in cyber security, you might not want to return to school for a full degree program. Further, you might need to learn more about a specific product or sub-specialty in cyber security for your current position or company, or a prospective job you hope to earn. Certifications can help you gain added credentials without the burden of a full degree. You can receive credentials through a company like Cisco or Microsoft, or you can be credentialed by an independent professional association. Many certifications require ongoing education and, if you show employers that you have maintained certain credentials over several years, they are sure to find you all the more valuable.

Why is Accreditation Important?

Accreditation is a vital part of your education. This might be especially true for cyber security. That's because so much is riding on your skills and knowledge. You want to show potential employers that your education was approved and certified by an independent agency that applied rigorous standards when it assessed your degree program.

There are many agencies out there that assess cyber security and computer science programs in general. For computer security, the optimum accreditation comes from the Centers for Academic Excellence (CAE). CAE is a program run by the National Security Agency, so it has met the requirements of an agency charged with protecting national security. When your academic credentials come from an accredited institution, your employer will know that you can provide the same level of expertise that protects our highest military secrets.

Your Louisiana cyber security program should be accredited by the best available agency. That way you can land the best jobs and provide the best service to your firm, and the state in general. If CAE accreditation isn’t available at your school of choice, you should at least make sure it is regionally accredited. Regional accreditation is the next most prestigious form of accreditation and will be good enough for all employers except perhaps government entities looking for cyber security specialists. The regional accrediting body for Louisiana is the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

CAE Accredited Programs in Louisiana

Bossier Parish Community College

CAE-2Y / 2014-2021

Louisiana Tech University

CAE-CD / 2014-2020

CAE-R / 2014-2020

Scholarships:

Upsilon Pi Epsilon

Amount: $1,000-$2,500

Deadline: July 1

Link: http://upe.acm.org/scholarship.html

If you are a member of UPE, you are welcome to apply to this scholarship fund. In the past, computer science students from Louisiana Tech have won this prestigious scholarship. Make sure that your application reflects your passion for computing and computer science.

BHW Women in STEM Scholarship

Amount: $3,000

Deadline: April 15

Link: https://thebhwgroup.com/scholarship

To help encourage more women in STEM fields, including cyber security, the BHW Group is offering an annual scholarship for women who are working towards careers in engineering, computing, or some other science/technical fields. If you are a high school senior or higher, you are encouraged to apply. Each application must include a formal or informal essay that relates to an application.

William Curran Scholarship

Amount: Varies

Deadline: Application through financial aid office

Link: http://www.southeastern.edu/acad_research/depts/comp_sci/student_success/scholarships/index.html

Southeastern Louisiana University Computer Science students who have been inducted into the Association of Computing Machinery (ACM) and who have a minimum GPA of 3.0, are encouraged to apply for this scholarship. You can apply through the financial aid office. Keep in mind that, if you are a freshman, you need to be planning to join the ACM.

Quoc-Nam and Le-Bui Tran Scholarship in Computer Science

Amount: Varies

Deadline: Application through financial aid office

Link: http://www.southeastern.edu/acad_research/depts/comp_sci/student_success/scholarships/index.html

Computer Science and Information Technology students who can demonstrate financial need are encouraged to apply to this scholarship. That is, you must be able to show that the scholarship is vital to your attendance. Your GPA must also be at least 3.0. You can find more information through the financial aid office of Southeastern Louisiana University.

UNO Scholarship for Women in Computer Science

Amount: $3000/semester

Deadline: Varies

Link: https://www.uno.edu/academics/cos/computer-science/scholarships

BSCS alumni Sabrina D. Farmer founded this scholarship fund to help UNO women thrive in Computer Science. To apply, you should be female, have completed CS2125, and be able to exhibit a dedication to Computer Science. Not only can you win $3,000 per semester to offset your tuition, but you can opt to receive a mentorship from Ms. Farmer, who is an Engineering Manager with Google.

Conferences and Workshops:

BSides-NOLA

Since 2013, Bsides NOLA has been helping to advance the cyber security community in New Orleans and throughout Louisiana. The 2019 conference was held in the Hyatt Centric French Quarter New Orleans and topics included Blockchains, the Chrome OS, and Decoupled Components for Automated Ransomware Testing, among many others.

Critical Infrastructure Protection and Resilience Americas

This critical conference will be held in the Crowne Plaza New Orleans-Airport at the end of April, 2020. Past keynote speakers include top officials from the Department of Homeland Security, and administrators from FEMA. In fact, the conference is billed as a Homeland Security event.

SANS Security East 2020

This cyber security training in New Orleans will offer over 25 two-day courses. If you are a student, or new to the field, you can take the Intro to Cyber security course. More advanced professionals will study Defense Security and Architecture, Cloud Security, Penetration Testing, Tactical Analysis, and much, much more. The event takes place in the Hilton New Orleans, Riverside.

ACM Conference on Data and Application Security and Privacy (CODASPY)

This annual conference has been held for ten years and is still going strong. In fact, 2020 will mark the inaugural Workshop for Women in Cybersecurity Research. The conference spans the dates March 16 - 18, 2020 and will host a large number of presenters. Come to learn more about topics including, but not limited to: Securing Electronic Commerce, Secure Auditing, Privacy-preserving techniques, Data Forensics, and Web Application Security.

To take advantage of networking possibilities as well as expand your safety understanding, you may desire to move to New Orleans if you do not live there currently. We discovered 5 healthy Meetups in addition to communities for InfoSec professionals as well as likewise cyberpunks, done in the Big Easy: Cloud Safety Partnership (CSA) Louisiana Stage: It's totally free to join the CSA along with come to stage seminars in New Orleans.

Yearly it refers to the Large Easy with a food selection naturally from beginner to Jedi. Select from four sub-disciplines: security and also protection, forensics, management and also commercial control systems. These programs load relating to a term of uncovering into 4 to 6 days, as well as the tuition shows that. SANS Threat Searching along with Event Reaction Leading: SANS also runs a certain niche workshop in New Orleans later in the year.

That's hiring these workers? Instead of natural defense business, noticeable companies as well as additionally federal government experts have actually actioned to provide most possibilities. You could try the IBM Customer Technology Center in Baton Rouge. PricewaterhouseCoopers (currently simply PwC) has a workplace in New Orleans that needs cyber protection specialists to consult with on cyber protection issues for the public industry.

According to the review, 79 percent of American solutions reported some kind of cyber strike in 2014. These numbers are triggering federal government stakeholders as well as also infotech companies to fund cyber safety degree programs at both the undergraduate and graduate degrees at universities across the nation. The Louisiana National Guard came to be part of a multi-state Cyber Security Group in 2014, in addition to Mississippi as well as Texas.

In truth, federal government professional CSRA relocated a huge section of its labor force there in 2015, where it inquired from on cyber safety tasks. The Louisiana State Board of Education and finding out upped the stake in 2015 by developing a brand-new" college graduation path" for cyber design. So presently there are lots of people holding Safety+ accreditation regarding 8 times the number of work posts requesting that credential, according to Cyber Look for.

Who's working with these employees? In lieu of natural protection companies, prominent companies as well as additional federal government experts have actually actioned to give more chances. You might attempt the IBM Consumer Technology Facility in Baton Rouge. PricewaterhouseCoopers (currently simply PwC) has a workplace in New Orleans that calls for cyber defense experts to speak with on cyber defense problems for the general public sector.

Bureau of Labor Stats. That's backed up by informal numbers from income aggregators Indeed.com and also Glassdoor. Yet those are existing numbers. Let's contrast them to 2010 numbers. Afterwards, low-end info safety and also safety analysts made $31,000 contrasted to top-tier employees at $88,000, and also the ordinary worker made $56,000. So in merely 6 years, as the remainder of the nation's financial scenario was having a hard time, average earnings for Louisiana's details protection analysts increased virtually 33 percent.

Cyber Security Degrees and Jobs in Louisiana are plentiful. With a growing economy, job opportunities in the security industry are expected to grow. There is also a need for people with these degrees who want to work in the cyber security industry, because of the growing competition from companies that use computer networks for their own benefit.

The cyber security industry has grown exponentially in recent years. Most companies now use computer networks to manage their own finances and information. The need for security professionals who know how to protect the networks has increased along with the need for these workers. With this demand, many security experts have found employment in the cyber security field in New Orleans and other cities in the state.

Security workers in New Orleans can specialize in one of two different areas of expertise, with one area being software engineering. The software engineering field is extremely competitive, and with a job in this field means a lot of flexibility. You can work your hours as you choose, and have the chance to do whatever you want to do, without having to worry about a boss who wants you to work weekends or on holidays.

Some security workers will have a job in the computer software development industry as well, but this is not the only area they can work in. The software development industry is growing rapidly, due to the number of applications that are created every day.

In Baton Rouge, cyber security is seen as a very high paying career field. There is a large number of security professionals in the Baton Rouge area, and many of them work for the government in other states. Other cyber security professionals are able to find employment through the private sector and work at home.

Louisiana has the ability to attract people that are interested in pursuing careers in the computer technology, or cyber security industry, as long as the individuals are willing to relocate to the area. There is a huge amount of opportunity in the New Orleans area for those who want to work in the computer security industry.

There are many different types of security jobs available in Baton Rouge, including some that have never been thought to exist. For example, there are some security experts that work for the government as computer technicians, but who also specialize in one particular area of computer technology. These individuals can work as consultants to computer manufacturers to help them develop new applications.

If you are interested in getting a cyber security job in Baton Rouge, you will have the opportunity to live in the city and live your life in style while working in the security industry. Security jobs in Baton Rouge can be found in several different fields. You can make great money with a security degree in Baton Rouge.

A job in Baton Rouge offers you the opportunity to work from home. This is a major advantage over other jobs in Baton Rouge, because there is not the commute time. You won't need to drive to work and then come back. Also, since your work schedule is flexible, you will have the opportunity to work the hours you want.

Most of the jobs in Baton Rouge for cyber security specialists pay a good salary and come with benefits and some health insurance. If you want to make a good living and not depend on a boss for your paycheck, you will want to consider working in Baton Rouge.

Those that are interested in this field are urged to look into the various scholarships available in Baton Rouge. There are many different colleges and universities that offer these types of scholarships.

The best way to get the information you need to get your foot in the door when it comes to cyber security jobs in Baton Rouge is to enroll in a cyber security class in a community college or an online university. It will give you the information you need in order to complete your education and prepare you for the world of jobs.

Louisiana Cyber Security Jobs and Salary

Cyber security is a rapidly growing industry and Louisiana is certainly seeing growth in its high tech sector. Currently, there are 500 information security analysts in the state, but that number is bound to grow over the next ten years or so. Nationally, ISAs are projected to grow by 32% through 2028, which is a phenomenal rate of growth. The median rate of pay for information security analysts in Louisiana is currently over $74,000.

A related field, that of computer systems analysts, currently boasts over 2,000 workers in Louisiana. Their median rate of pay is close to their information security colleagues, garnering a median salary just over $72,000 per year. Meanwhile, the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that Louisiana database administrators number just under 500 in the state, but they are paid a mean annual wage of over $90,000 per year.

All told, the state of Louisiana currently employs 20,000 Computer and Mathematical professionals. These workers are found in the public and private sector as regular employees, contract workers, and business owners. Their annual mean wage is approximately $67,000 and their numbers are growing.

Keep in mind when looking at salaries for Louisiana that the cost of living in the state may be less than where you are. If the national mean wage seems to outstrip what's available in Louisiana, consider that rents and home prices elsewhere have been skyrocketing. A one-room studio apartment in Manhattan or San Francisco can be over $2,000, so workers must earn more to simply survive.

Resources

IEEE-NOLA Computer Society

The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) computer society boasts approximately 85,000 members nationwide. The Computer Society offers certifications for members and holds regular meetings in New Orleans. You can join their group on Meetup.com and attend meetings free of charge. Each meetup will be announced well in advance and you can determine which topics interest you the most.

Baton Rouge Cyber Security for Control Systems

This is a highly specific meetup.com group that meets on a regular basis to discuss security issues related to Operating Technology, Industrial Control Systems, SCADA Systems, and the Industrial Internet of Things. In fact, the Baton Rouge group is but one subset of the national group, the Control System Cyber Security Association International – (CS)2AI.

Louisiana Cybersecurity Commission

This commission is dedicated to helping Louisiana practice safe computing. Given that every computer system is subject to hacking, malware, and other cyber difficulties, the state government is trying to help everyone secure their data. Their website contains helpful pages where you can find training, tips for cyber hygiene, and other resources. In fact, the average citizen is more than welcome to explore the web page to get a start on keeping themselves and their families safe in this new hyper-technical world.

K-12 Cybersecurity Resource Center

In 2019, Louisiana was rocked by a major threat to its cyber security. The Governor issued an Emergency Declaration, as several government agencies were impacted. The incident prompted him to form the Cybersecurity Commission, and the K-12 Cybersecurity Resource Center is a part of the state's rapid response to this security threat. Currently, the School Cybersecurity Resources page is a comprehensive list of related links, but it is sure to develop as we learn more about how to protect ourselves in this new world.