Cyberattacks hit companies, individuals, and universities practically on the daily.
And the harvest and exposure of sensitive data is often the motivation for such attacks, often at the expense of customers and users. Just last week, a cybersecurity incident prompted the University of Michigan to shut down access to campus internet for multiple days.
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While the extent of the situation is still under investigation, it is a “worst case scenario,” says Scott Shackelford, executive director of the Center for Applied Cybersecurity Research at the Indiana University. He says it should be a wake-up call for others as well.
“The stakes are going up,” Shackelford tells Fortune. “The lifeblood of a lot of companies are trade secrets. When you’re looking to value the S&P 500—80% wrapped up in their trade secrets—which means intellectual property is really the whole game at this point.”
Already, cybercrime is among one of the largest transfers of wealth in human history, so with increased pressure on cybersecurity across all industries, so is the demand for cyber experts with the skills to protect sensitive data, monitor networks, and check for system vulnerabilities.
In the U.S. alone, there are more than 750,000 open cybersecurity jobs, and the open positions increased by 35% in the last year. That’s according to the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s (CIDA) careers and studies initiative. And with average salaries above $100,000, riding the growing cybersecurity wave could be a way to achieve career stability—and provide plenty of advancement opportunities.
In fact, Shackelford says within Indiana’s cybersecurity programs, one of the issues they are facing is frankly keeping students in the program through graduation because the jobs are so in-demand. “This has become an issue that you at least need a grounding and basic cyber hygiene just to be successful, I’d argue, in the 21st century economy,” he says.
Daniel Ostergaard is a clinical professor for international business at Darla Moore School of Business at University of South Carolina and lead faculty for the school’s cybersecurity management certificate.
He says across the board, cybersecurity skills are needed—whether you work for a 10-person dentist office or a Fortune 500 corporation. The frontlines of cybersecurity can be anywhere, and a lack of preparedness can cost millions of dollars in ransom and recovery.
And with cybersecurity not likely to be replaced by A.I. anytime soon, Ostergaard says obtaining a cybersecurity certificate is an investment well worth your time, especially with a need for millions of experts worldwide within businesses, militaries, and nonprofits.
For those interested in getting ahead, Fortune has compiled a list of business schools with cybersecurity management certificate programs—in which upon successful completion could help you become the next leader in cybersecurity.
Auburn University
- Program: Harbert College of Business—Graduate Certificate in Cybersecurity Management
- Length: 9 credit hours
- Cost: $8,550 ($950/credit hour, plus an additional $222/credit hour fee for in-person)
- Format: In-person or online
- Course/Module Examples: Security and Information Assurance; Information Risk Analysis; Information Technology Auditing
Florida International University
- Program: FIU College of Business—Certificate in cybersecurity management
- Length: 15 credit hours (6 months)
- Cost: $15,000
- Format: In-person, online, or hybrid
- Course/Module Examples: Security Risk Management and Organizational Cyber Resilience; Ethical Hacking for Business; Protecting and Defending Business Digital Assets
University of Alabama—Birmingham
- Program: Collat School of Business—Cybersecurity management graduate certificate
- Length: 5 courses (3 semesters)
- Cost: ~$8,415
- Format: Online
- Course/Module Examples: Principles of Cybersecurity; Incident Response & Business Continuity; Digital Forensics
Indiana University
- Program: Kelley School of Business—Cybersecurity management certificate
- Length: 12 credit hours (6 to 12 months)
- Cost: $13,740 ($1,145/credit hour)
- Format: Online
- Course/Module Examples: Information Systems Security; IT Risk Management; Cybersecurity Law and Policy
University of South Carolina
- Program: Darla Moore School of Business—Cybersecurity management graduate certificate
- Length: 12 credit hours
- Cost: ~$9,720 ($820/credit hour within professional MBA) + fees
- Format: In-person or online
- Course/Module Examples: Introduction to Cybersecurity Management; Managing Cyber Risk in Global Organizations; Risk Management
West Virginia University
- Program: John Chambers College of Business and Economics—Business cybersecurity management certificate
- Length: 12 credit hours (12 months)
- Cost: $11,580
- Format: Online with two 2-day residencies
- Course/Module Examples: Information Security Assurance Management; Business Data Communications; Business Network Security
Hawai‘i Pacific University MS in Cybersecurity
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