According to Forbes, Alaska’s economy has declined over the last five years, with oil prices falling and unemployment rates exceeding 6%, making net migration out of the state the worst in the country. Alaska is expected to create a tiny number of jobs in the coming years, according to projections. The halt in development is due to a number of issues, including the state’s eight corporate income tax brackets with a maximum rate of 9.4 percent and a $3 million revenue shortfall. The oil and gas industries are at the heart of Alaska’s development. The oil and gas industry accounts for almost 80% of the state’s revenue. As a result of its reliance on world oil prices for economic growth, the state’s economic development and infrastructure have stalled. Tourism, along with its secondary sectors, such as fishing, lumber production, and coal deposits, is the country’s second-largest employer and primary sector, receiving about 1.1 million visitors. However, because these businesses account for a small portion of the company’s total revenue, technology innovation to support them is in high demand. Current corporate policies and state lawmakers’ IT practises have already begun to take effect, igniting a growing interest in cybersecurity roles across the state. As Alaska’s new governor takes office, the state’s security policies have begun to mature as a result of recent security breaches. The Department of Energy’s latest innovations for pipeline security have led to officials preparing cybersecurity protocols as a novel format for protection as hackers attack the state’s tourism websites.
Growing Awareness of Cybersecurity in Alaska
Alaska created an Enterprise Strategic IT Plan in 2016 in response to the National Cyber Incident Response Plan’s directions and several reports of cyber hacking over the previous few years. The strategy lays out state and corporate procedures for cost-effective service delivery, inventory accounting, integrated application methodologies, and department-centric decision-making. Governmental offices are required to have emergency operating plans, cybersecurity rules, and acceptable usage regulations as part of their preventative tactics at the state level. The state conducts a Cyber Security Vulnerability Assessment for major resource and critical infrastructure sectors as part of these procedures. It also began planning for governor elections in terms of cybersecurity, implementing cybersecurity training programmes, communication tools, and vulnerability scans, all of which were designed by the Alaska Division of Elections. These tools give the general public an overview of cybersecurity standards as well as the state’s pressing need for IT experts in its key industries. Governor Michael J. Dunleavy of Alaska announced October 2019 as Cybersecurity Awareness Month to educate the public about cyber dangers through private coalition corporations, charity organisations, government organisations, and academic institutions. Interface Alaska, Articcon, and the JBER Yearly Technology & Cyber Security Day are among the state’s annual cybersecurity conferences. Each of these conferences aids in informing the public about the state’s most recent cybersecurity operations as well as any upcoming procedures.
Cybersecurity Education in Alaska
Alaska’s future workforce has a limited number of options for cybersecurity training and degrees, but that number is expanding. While Alaska’s programme selection is limited, its education courses provide a foundation for cybersecurity expenditures that can extend outside the state and into corporations, particularly those that create through the oil and tourism industries.
ASSOCIATE’S DEGREE
Students with associate degrees can learn and administer government and business software applications, activate firewall protection measures, decode and encrypt critical data information, and protect against security breaches. Students with associate degrees can transfer credits toward a bachelor’s degree. An associate of applied science is a stand-alone degree that does not allow for credit transfer. Students can get an associate of applied science degree from the University of Alaska in Fairbanks in a range of information technology specialty programmes. The IT Specialist: Network and Cybersecurity degree is for people who want to get a cybersecurity degree. The two-year degree programme emphasises network security and administration while focusing on specialised skills in support and administration systems. The degree focuses on Cisco systems networking, laying the groundwork for penetration testing and protection measures by laying a foundation in local area network infrastructure and wide area networking services. Computing technology A.A.S., network and system administration A.A.S., an information technology certificate, and a computer information technology minor are among the university’s other degrees. Students can earn an Associate of Applied Science in computer networking systems online through Charter College. Students will learn how to structure network systems, cloud computing, certification testing, and application development work as part of their degree. It also emphasises environmental science, sociology, oral and written communication, and mathematics as part of a broad education.
BACHELOR’S DEGREE
Bachelor’s degrees give advanced cybersecurity training that is required by major oil companies and state governments. Bachelor’s degree students study network security, information systems, software applications, and advanced web development as well as cybersecurity strategies. These degrees lay the framework for any cybersecurity career by teaching students how to interpret and respond to networking challenges. Charter College offers an online Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Systems that focuses on ethical hacking, virtualization, data management, Cisco Systems, and project management to students. Students will obtain a general education in ethics, sociology, logic and reasoning, political systems, and interpersonal communication in order to examine the principles of analysis and design.
MASTER’S DEGREE
Master’s degrees are generally focused on specialisation, polishing leadership skills in cybersecurity, and informing people about the latest digital security, encryption, and innovation methods. Master’s degrees also provide project management skills in network security and cryptography.
Cybersecurity certifications in Alaska
For students interested in working in a specialised sector of the cybersecurity industry, the University of Alaska Southeast offers a Healthcare Privacy and Security Certificate. The credential prepares students for work in healthcare institutions in data access, disclosure, and healthcare informatics.
Cybersecurity Programs in Alaska
According to Cyberseek, the cybersecurity business now employs roughly 1,856 people in Alaska, with 983 job vacancies. According to Bureau of Labor Statistics data, the average hourly income for a cybersecurity analyst in Alaska is $47.22, with an annual average wage of $98,210.
Cybersecurity in Alaska
Cybersecurity experts in Alaska will be able to assist in restoring economic stability, increasing household income, and assisting in funding defensive measures against foreign breaches of sensitive data information.
