Cybersecurity Programs in Delaware

Delaware has a small but solid cyber security scene. If you’re in the market for a degree from the First State, check out our list of programs. Or you can continue reading to see what’s available online, discover scholarships, and get hints on forging your career path in Dover or Wilmington.

Studying Cybersecurity in Delaware

Two big universities in Delaware offer degree programs in cyber security: University of Delaware and Wilmington University. And Delaware Technical Community College supplies each with transfer students from its associate program in Information Security. Here are some highlights of the state’s academic and research agenda on cyber security:

Online Cybersecurity Programs in Delaware

The same two universities that maintain on-campus cyber security degrees also place their programs online. Wilmington University sticks to the undergraduate offerings, with a bachelor’s degree and two certificates. Meanwhile, the state’s biggest postsecondary institution, University of Delaware, takes care of grad students.

Cybersecurity Scholarships in Delaware

There are few cyber security degrees within Delaware, which translates to few scholarships specifically for cyber security students. However, we’ve found several that cover a slightly broader array of enrollees:

Delaware Technical Community College

• Garrett Family Trust Scholarship: Full-time technology program majors at the Owens campus, including those studying Information Security, are considered for this award if they have a 2.5 GPA and financial need. Milford School District grads receive extra consideration.
• Howard Layton Endowed Scholarship: This award goes to Owens students pursuing a computer degree. Recipients must have 24 credits under their belt, boast a 3.0 GPA or better, and hail from Sussex or Kent County.
• Richard Lawson Windsor Memorial Scholarship: The Windsor Scholarship goes to students at the Owens campus Computer Technology department who hold a 3.0 through at least one semester.

Cybersecurity Events in Delaware

Cybersecurity Meetups & Communities In Delaware

Delaware isn’t as stacked with tech communities as neighboring Maryland or Pennsylvania, which leaves three options for people with an interest in cyber security. First, you can easily head across state lines. Wilmington residents should check for Philadelphia communities at our guide to Cybersecurity Programs in Pennsylvania. You may also consider becoming a member of professional organizations like the Delaware Valley Chapter of ISSA (Information Systems Security Association), which meets in Camden, New Jersey. Second, you can loosen your criteria. For instance, the monthly Delaware Tech Meetup in Wilmington cultivates entrepreneurs but provides networking opportunities across the startup spectrum. Third, you can join one of the cyber security communities that is going strong. We’ve found a few:

• 2600 Delaware: 2600 meetings take place across the country every first Friday of the month. They’re for hackers and InfoSec specialists to meet up and collaborate. There’s no set agenda, and no experience is required. The Delaware version meets at the Barnes and Noble in Newark.
• (ISC)2 Delaware Chapter: The International Information System Security Certification Consortium, or (ISC)2, has an outpost in Delaware. A professional organization, (ISC)2 welcomes students to join for free; they’ll be able to attend quarterly chapter meetings and access short workshops spanning everything from the Internet of Things to identity access. The group is based in Wilmington but often meets in Dover.
• OWASP Delaware Chapter: Wilmington’s branch of the Open Web Application Security Project has been meeting infrequently since mid-2014. Free and open to everyone, OWASP gatherings introduce attendees to application security topics via member presentations and trainings.

Cybersecurity Conferences & Workshops In Delaware

A handful of annual state-level conferences welcome cyber security professionals, but most events are one-off symposiums and workshops. The UD Cybersecurity Initiative can keep you up to date through its events section, as can the Delaware Department of Technology and Information through its DigiKnow website.

• BSides Delaware: This annual two-day event is hyper-local and hyper-fun. It costs next to nothing to go and gives attendees the option of popping into multiple presentation tracks with practitioners from the region’s cyber scene, testing their skills at the Forensics Village, or playing an epic game of Capture the Flag.
• Delaware Innovation Week: The festival atmosphere is in full swing at Delaware Innovation Week in Wilmington. Entrepreneurial techies can choose between activities dotting downtown, including a developers conference, tech competitions, TEDx talks and happy hours. /li>
• report by CyberSeek found the state’s supply to be “very low” compared to demand, with about a third of available jobs unfilled. Employers are particularly looking for graduates who hold a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) credential.

  Who exactly are these employers? A big one is Helm Point Solutions, a regional cyber security consulting firm with an office in Dover. JPMorgan Chase is another player, as the financial services company needs a ton of IT security specialists at its Wilmington office. Elsewhere in Wilmington, hometown chemical manufacturer DuPont is the state’s third-biggest employer and has occasional openings in security. Last, auditors and risk managers with coursework in healthcare settings can find work with the state’s second-largest employer, Christiana Care Health System, a chain of Delaware medical centers.

  Cybersecurity Salaries in Delaware

  Delaware pairs the lowest cost of living in the Northeast with high cyber security salaries, making it an attractive destination for tech talent. Employees on the low end of the salary spectrum can expect to make $60K as information security analysts, and veterans top out at around $137,000. The median earner among Delaware’s information security analysts makes $95,000, which is five percent higher than the median U.S. employee with the same title. Change the title and you’ll get similar results. Indeed.com estimates that Delaware’s IT security specialists, security engineers and network security engineers receive salaries in line with — or better than — national averages.

  All Cybersecurity Programs in Delaware

  Below are all the matching programs we found in our directory, from 2 Delaware schools.

  SCHOOL NAME	PROGRAMS	NSA
  University of Delaware	Newark, Delaware Online Master of Science in Cybersecurity
  Wilmington University	New Castle, Delaware Computer and Network Security (BS Completion Program) Digital Evidence Discovery Certificate Digital Evidence Investigation Certificate	NSA CAE

  School Rankings

  • Top Schools
  • Top 18 Online Cybersecurity Bachelors Degrees
  • Top 20 Online Bachelors in IT Degrees
  • Top 30 Online Certificate Programs
  • Top 17 Online Computer Forensics Programs
  • Top 25 Online Masters Degrees

  Useful Resources

  • Moving From General IT Jobs Into Cyber
  • Free Online Cyber Security Courses (MOOCs)
  • A Quick Guide to Security Clearances
  • A Guide to Cyber Security Certifications
  • Government Cyber Security Careers
  • Internet Safety for College Students
  • The Big List of Cyber Security Resources