Information Assurance and Cyber Security Degrees in Montana

While the Big Sky state may not evoke a population of high-tech cyber security professionals, Montana is home to a top cyber security degree program and numerous cyber security opportunities, from entry-level IT positions to senior-level security roles in government, nonprofit, and private organizations. The state’s biggest employment sectors include logging and mineral extraction, but financial services, healthcare administration, and an extensive tourism sector all require skilled cyber security professionals to keep data safe for individuals and businesses and predict, analyze, and prevent future cyber threats and vulnerabilities.

Cyber Security Jobs in Montana

Montana employers have jobs available for cyber security workers at all levels. Helena, Great Falls, and Missoula are among the best places to find cyber jobs, including roles at government agencies like the National Guard and State of Montana to major private companies. (Keep in mind that large companies may offer remote cyber security jobs for senior-level professionals.) With top-paying salaries in the $95k range, Montana’s cyber security jobs rank slightly below national averages for top-tier payment — but, remember, that $95k goes much further in Montana than elsewhere. Entry- and mid-level roles generally pay near median national salaries.

Cyber Security Degrees in Montana

A Cyber Security Professional Certificate is available through The University of Montana, which consists of 4 core courses in Securing Desktop and Mobile Devices, Securing LANs, Border/Perimeter Network Security, and Software Assurance & File System Internals. Designed for practicing system administrators and networking professionals, Montana’s program gives IT professionals the opportunity to expand their knowledge in critical cyber security areas for future job prospects. Skills covered include business continuity, computer system design, contingency planning, data integrity, risk assessment and mitigation techniques, security investigation, and troubleshooting.

Cyber Security Resources in Montana

Cyber Security Degree Providers in Montana

Below we’ve included some of the most pertinent information for choosing a cyber security degree program. Affordability looked at the average in-state tuition rate (where applicable) and divided the range of tuition rates into five bins. Each bin contains a roughly $8,000 jump in tuition. So one $ contains schools from roughly $1,000 in in-state tuition to $9,000, $$’s contains schools from >$9,000 to $17,000, and so forth. Retention rate is one of the best predictors of undergraduate education quality. While the NSA/CAE designation marks programs deemed excellent by the NSA.