The significance of Cyber Security has grown by leaps and bounds in the past couple of years across various industries. The reason can be credited to the fact that the world is now operating digitally. Although transitioning to the digital realm has its set of merits, it also comes with its own drawbacks such as breach of security for instance, which could severely affect how a company or organization operates. This puts Cyber Security in a position of high demand in the market.
Also check the blog on cheapest online degrees in Cyber security.
What does Cyber Security do?
Cyber Security can be termed as the implementation of security to identify, analyze and defend against cyber attacks. Cyber attacks pose a serious threat to data, network and integrity of organizations, companies or agencies. Cyber Security can be applied across various levels of information systems such as cloud security, mobile security, app security and more. A degree in Cyber Security prepares students to learn from both a theoretical and practical perspective providing them with necessary skills and knowledge required in and across industries that rely on Cyber Security.
How do you differentiate between Cyber Security and Information Security?
Although Cyber Security and Information Security are, in a way, closely similar when it comes to securing and protecting data and information, there are some differences between the two.
| Cyber Security | Information Security |
| It involves the process and activity of identifying, analyzing and defending against threats. Cyber Security reinforces defenses for computer systems, networks, devices and applications from cyber attacks. Cyber attacks can occur in varieties which include – pretexting, phishing, and baiting to name a few. | This involves the process and procedures that entities such as organizations and corporations use to prohibit access that is deemed unauthorized by said entities. Information Security allows confidential information and data to stay protected from acts of disruption, alteration or even destruction. |
What skills are needed for Cyber Security?
There is no definite answer to this question and the skills needed to pursue a career in Cyber Security can vary across companies and organizations. However, there is a general rule that the basic requirement to be positioned in Cyber Security is to have an associates degree as the minimum requisite. However, this requisite will vary across organizations, corporations and organizations.
| Program | Duration | General admission requirements |
| Associates Degree | 2 Years | GED / Proof of high school graduation with official transcripts |
| Bachelor’s degree | 4 Years | Official High School Transcripts/ Minimum GPA |
| Master’s degree | 2 Years | Bachelor’s Degree in Cyber Security or Computer Science |
5 Cheapest In-Person Associates Degree in Cyber Security
1. Catawba Valley Community College
Program: Information Technology: Cyber Security – Cyber Security, AAS
Tuition: $76/credit hour
Accreditation and Ranking: Regionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC); CVCC ranks #28 Best Community Colleges in North Carolina.
Financial Aid: Available, with 91% of students receiving financial aid.
The Associates Degree in Information Technology: Cyber Securityat CVCC has been modeled to prepare individuals for employment in the tech sector. The program includes development of an individual’s ability to utilize information to solve issues that relate to interactive media, programming, network systems and other technical issues.
2. Cape Fear Community College
Program: Cyber Crime Technology, A.A.S.
Tuition: $76/credit hour
Accreditation and Ranking: CFCC is regionally accredited by the SACSCOC; Cape Fear Community College ranks #33 Best Community Colleges in North Carolina.
Financial Aid: Available, with 62% of students receiving financial aid.
The Cyber Crime Technology program is designed to prepare students that have their sights on entering the world of Cyber Security. As students complete the program, they will have the capacity and skills to investigate computer crimes, recover computer evidence and aid in prosecuting criminals of the cyber world.
3. Forsyth Technical Community College
Program: IT-Cyber Security, AAS
Tuition: $76/credit hour
Accreditation: Forsyth Technical Community College has been accredited by the SACSCOC.
Financial Aid: Available, with 75% of students receiving financial aid.
A degree in IT-Cyber Security at Forsyth will launch graduates across various technology sectors as testers, designers, system administrators, programmers, security specialists and more. The program involves learning to create, store and utilize certain information to be able to solve issues related to interactive media, network systems, and programming to highlight a few.
4. McDowell Technical Community College
Program: Cyber Crime Technology (Associates Degree)
Tuition: $76/credit hour
Accreditation: MTCC is regionally accredited by the SACSCOC.
Financial Aid: Available, with 83% of students receiving financial aid.
The associates degree in Cyber Crime Technology by MTCC prepares and equips knowledge and skills required in various fields such as computer crime investigation. The program offers course works that include a division of work in criminal justice disciplines and computer information systems.
5. South Piedmont Community College
Program: Associate Degree in Cyber Crime Technology
Tuition: $76/credit hour
Accreditation: South Piedmont Community College is regionally accredited by the SACSCOC.
Financial Aid: Available, with 53% of students receiving financial aid.
The Cyber Crime Technology program enables students to become capable individuals in the realm of solving issues related to computer crimes, effectively seizing and recovering computer evidence.
10 Cheapest In-Person Bachelor’s Degree in Cyber Security
1. North Carolina Central University
Program: BS – Information Technology, Cybersecurity Concentration
Tuition: $183.67/credit hour
Accreditation: NCCU is regionally accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
Financial Aid: Available, with 96% of students receiving financial aid.
The Cyber Security program offered by NCCU provides students the opportunity to learn, experience and train in skill sets that are high in demand with focus on computer security, forensics, cyber defense and countermeasures, and regulatory compliance.
2. North Carolina State University
Program: Computer Science: Cybersecurity Concentration, BS
Tuition: $272/credit hour
Accreditation and Ranking: NCSU is regionally accredited by the SACSCOC; the college ranks #2 in Top Public Universities in North Carolina.
Financial Aid: Available, with 68% of students receiving financial aid.
In the 21st century, a huge amount of data/information utilized by organizations, education, businesses and governance have more or less become integrated into cyberspace. The Cybersecurity program provides students with the necessary knowledge and skills sets to analyze risks, define threats and defend against cyber attacks.
3. Montreat College
Program: Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity
Tuition: $425/credit hour
Accreditation: Montreat College is regionally accredited by the SACSCOC.
Financial Aid: Available, with 100% of students receiving financial aid.
Montreat College’s Cybersecurity program aims to provide individuals with important insights and analytical skills on cyber defense. The program also includes access to competitive internships with renowned companies to further their knowledge acquisition on the topic of Cyber Security.
4. Campbell University
Program: Bachelor of Science in Cyber Security
Tuition: $740/credit hour
Accreditation and Ranking: Campbell University is regionally accredited by the SACSCOC; the university ranks #21 in Best Value Colleges in North Carolina.
Financial Aid: Available, with 98% of students receiving financial aid.
The demand for Cyber Security specialists continues to grow across the globe. As such the Cyber Security program at Campbell focuses on nurturing students with relevant issues in cyber threats and how to analyze, define and defend against these eminent threats.
5. Lenoir-Rhyne University
Program: Computer Science with Cybersecurity Concentration, BS
Tuition: $1,344/credit hour
Accreditation and Ranking: Lenoir-Rhyne University is regionally accredited by the SACSCOC; the university ranks #15 in Best Value Colleges in North Carolina.
Financial Aid: Available, with 100% of students receiving financial aid.
At Lenoir-Rhyne University, the degree in Computer Science with Concentration on Cybersecurity aims to help students acquire the comprehensive skills on cyber defense, problem-solving, abstract reasoning, strong communication skills and critical thinking.
6. Gardner-Webb University
Program: BS Computer Science: Cyber Security
Tuition: $2,705 per semester
Accreditation: Gardner-Webb University is regionally accredited by the SACSCOC
Financial Aid: Available with 100% of students receiving financial aid.
A Cyber Security degree at Gardner-Webb University includes provisions that can help students to build a strong foundation in cyber security knowledge. The program aims to provide students with the comprehension on how to identify and defend against threats, outmaneuver cyber-criminals, and reinforce security to keep data from being disrupted.
7. East Carolina University
Program: Bachelor of Science: Information and Computer Technology
Tuition: $7,325 per year
Accreditation and Ranking: ECU is regionally accredited by the SACSCOC; the university ranks #8 in Best Value Colleges in North Carolina.
Financial Aid: Available, with 81% of students receiving financial aid.
The Information and Computer Technology program has multiple concentrations, one of which is cybersecurity. The program involves providing skill sets in ethical hacking, penetration testing, security management, cyberinfrastructure security and courseworks on how to detect cyber intruders.
8. Appalachian State University
Program: Computer Information Systems – Cybersecurity Concentration, BSBA
Tuition: $7,970/year
Accreditation and Ranking: Appalachian State University is regionally accredited by the SACSCOC; ASU ranks #3 in Top Public Universities in North Carolina.
Financial Aid: Available, with 75% of students receiving financial aid.
The CIS degree with Cybersecurity Concentration at Appalachian State University prepares students for a career in the field cyber security. The coursework includes learning about analyzing threats, managing security of a computer network, ethical hacking and countermeasures when cyber attacks are launched.
9. Pfeiffer University
Program: Computer Information System – BS
Tuition: $15,970/semester
Accreditation and Ranking: Pfeiffer University is regionally accredited by the SACSCOC; the university ranks #16 in Best Value Colleges in North Carolina.
Financial Aid: Available, with 100% of students receiving financial aid.
The Computer Information System program with concentration on Cyber Security provides the opportunity to students to learn analytical & programming skills while also learning the ropes on enhancing computer systems.
10. Methodist University
Program: Cybersecurity & Information Assurance: Bachelor’s Degree
Tuition: $37,438/year
Accreditation and Ranking: Methodist University is regionally accredited by the SACSCOC; the University ranks #727 in Colleges with the Best Professors in America.
Financial Aid: Available, with 100% of students receiving financial aid.
The Cybersecurity program at Methodist University helps prepare students to acquire skills that require them to critically analyze information storage systems, data access and local networks.
Cheapest Online Degrees In Cyber Security in North Carolina
The need for a robust Cyber Security system is being realized with the fact that a good number of companies and organizations rely on cyberspace to operate. The market for Cyber Security specialists is at an all-time high considering the advancement in technology over the years. Repetitive cyber attacks can be witnessed even with a single entity such as the Pentagon which comes across millions of cyber attacks in a day.
How long does it take to learn Cyber Security?
The duration that an individual can take to learn skills related to Cyber Security can vary according to the degree they are pursuing. An Associates degree in Cyber Security can take up to approximately 2 years. A Bachelor’s degree in Cyber Security can take anywhere around 4 years to complete. Basically, it all comes down to the level of job that an individual wants to pursue in their Cyber Security degree.
Here is a list of online Cybersecurity programs available in the following degrees:
| Program | Duration | General admission requirements |
| Associates Degree | 2 Years | GED / Proof of high school graduation with official transcripts |
| Bachelor’s degree | 4 Years | Official High School Transcripts/ Minimum GPA |
| Master’s degree | 2 Years | Bachelor’s Degree in Cyber Security or Computer Science |
5 Cheapest Online Associates Degree in Cyber Security
1. Fayetteville Technical Community College
Program: Computer Information Technology: IT/Systems Security Analysis, AAS
Tuition: $76/credit hour (resident); $268/credit hour (non-resident)
Accreditation: FTCC is regionally accredited by the SACSCOC.
Financial Aid: Available, with 88% of students receiving financial aid.
An online associates degree in Systems Security Analysis will prepare the student for a career at the entry-level across businesses, educational systems and more that rely on computer systems management and cyber security.
2. Forsyth Technical Community College
Program: IT – Cyber Security
Tuition: $76/credit hour (resident); $268/credit hour (non-resident)
Accreditation: Forsyth Tech Community College is regionally accredited by the SACSCOC.
Financial Aid: Available, with 75% of students receiving financial aid.
The online Cyber Security program helps students to learn how to create and utilize information to solve issues that are related to computer systems, application and network systems to name a few.
3. Nash Community College
Program: Associates degree in Information Technology: Systems Security
Tuition: $76/credit hour (resident); $268/credit hour (non-resident)
Accreditation and Ranking: NCC is regionally accredited by the SACSCOC; the College ranks #19 in Best Community Colleges in North Carolina.
Financial Aid: Available, with 100% of students receiving financial aid.
The online associates program in Cybersecurity at Nash Community College helps students to develop critical thinking skills, communication skills – both oral and written. The program helps students to gain productive insight on the fundamentals of cybersecurity
4. Rowan-Cabarrus Community College
Program: Information Technology: Cybersecurity, AAS
Tuition: $76/credit hour (resident); $268/credit hour (non-resident)
Accreditation and Ranking: RCCC is regionally accredited by the SACSCOC; the College ranks #23 in Best Community Colleges in North Carolina.
Financial Aid: Available, with 84% of students receiving aid.
The Cybersecurity program is equipped to provide graduates the skills necessary for a cyber security career. The program helps develop a student’s ability to create and make use of information and data to solve issues related to computer systems and security.
5. Wayne Community College
Program: Cybersecurity, AAS
Tuition: $76/credit hour (resident); $268/credit hour (non-resident)
Accreditation: WCC is regionally accredited by the SACSCOC.
Financial Aid: Available, with 68% of students receiving financial aid.
The Cybersecurity degree aims to prepare individuals to become capable at evaluating techniques in security, analyze and also identify threats. The program provides students with courses on how to apply countermeasures towards cyber attacks as well.
10 Cheapest Online Bachelors Degree in Cybersecurity
| School | Degree Program | Tuition | Accreditation | Financial Aid |
| North Carolina A&T State University | BS – Information Technology | $120/credit hour (resident); $576/credit hour (non-resident) | Regionally accredited by the SACSCOC | Available, with 95% of students receiving financial aid. |
| South College | Computer Science: Concentration in Network Security, BS | $310/credit hour | Regionally accredited by the SACSCOC | Available. |
| Gardner-Webb University | Bachelor’s Degree in Cybersecurity | $375/credit hour | Regionally accredited by the SACSCOC | Available, with 100% of students receiving financial aid. |
| Catawba College | BBA – Information Systems | $390/credit hour | Regionally accredited by the SACSOC | Available, with 99% of students receiving aid. |
| Methodist University | BS – Computer Information Technology: Cybersecurity and Information Assurance | $400/credit hour | Regionally accredited by the SACSOC | Available, with 100% of students receiving financial aid. |
| North Carolina Wesleyan University | Bachelors in Computer Information Systems | $425/credit hour | Regionally accredited by the SACSCOC | Available, with 99% of students receiving financial aid. |
| Montreat College | BS – Cybersecurity | $425/credit hour | Regionally accredited by the SACSCOC | Available, with 100% of students receiving financial aid. |
| DeVry University | Bachelor’s Degree Specialization in Cyber Security Programming | $514/credit hour | Regionally accredited by the HLC | Available. |
| University of Mount Olive | BS Business Administration: Computer Information System | $679/credit hour | Regionally accredited by the SACSCOC | Available, with 100% of students receiving financial aid. |
| Strayer University | Information Technology – BS | $1480/course | Regionally accredited by the MSCHE | Available, with 75% of students receiving financial aid. |
Is an online Cyber Security degree worth it?
An online degree in Cybersecurity holds the same amount of value as that of a traditional in-person degree. Individuals that are also employed and interested in taking up an online degree in cybersecurity can do so based on their convenience schedule.
Is Cyber Security in Demand?
There is high demand for individuals with a Cyber Security degree now that a big part of transactions and exchange of data are reliant on cyberspace for a faster experience. However, cyberspace is also vulnerable to cyber attacks which can disrupt, alter and destroy data. Thus, the market for Cyber Security professionals has seen a huge growth across a good number of industries over the years. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 19,500 job openings for cyber security/information security analysts are projected each year.
Top Jobs Available for Cyber Security Graduates
Cyber Security professionals are in demand across many industries worldwide. However, the biggest market for cyber security professionals can be seen in sectors that involve finance and technology.
Here is a list of some of the top paying jobs available for graduates with a Cyber Security degree.
| Job Position | Median Salary |
| Director of Information Security | $188,708 |
| Application Security Engineer | $130,809 |
| Senior Security Consultant | $129,200 |
| Penetration Tester | $119,140 |
| Cloud Engineer | $114,838 |
| Network Security Engineer | $109,281 |
