The College of Southern Nevada and University of Nevada-Las Vegas are two institutions that are recognized by the National Centers of Academic Excellence (CAE) for their highly-regarded education in cybersecurity.

NSA CAE Designated Institutions for Cyber Security in Nevada

The combination effort by the National Security Agency (NSA) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) are looking to improve and stabilize workforce in the cybersecurity industry, setting high standards of protecting sensitive information as more private data moves across virtually through networks and the cloud.

Here is a list of Nevada cybersecurity degrees that are from NSA CAE Designated Institutions:

College of Southern Nevada
University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Click to jump to the full list of Nevada cybersecurity schools.

Online Cyber Security Programs in Nevada

Both institutions in the state of Nevada have undergraduate programs that will provide a thorough education in cybersecurity, and there is an additional graduate certificate at UNLV that is available online.

The Graduate Certificate in Emergency Crisis Management Cybersecurity will prepare students for attacks on an organization's network and will help them implement the latest protective measures to reduce future disasters. Education includes admittance into the Black Hat or DEF CON hacking conferences that take place in the summer. The curriculum requires 12 credits to complete with the following courses: Cyber Law for Digital Intellectual Property and Privacy, Crisis and Emergency Management, and Concept Implementation and Cyber Lab.

Master's in Cyber Security Degrees in Nevada

Obtaining a Master's degree will give students an advanced education in cybersecurity, exploring theories and gaining skills in cryptology and penetration testing. There are no Master's programs in the state of Nevada, but there is the Graduate Certificate in Emergency Crisis Management within cybersecurity that serves as solid further education after obtaining a Bachelor's degree in a related field.

In order to gain entry into a Master's program, students will typically need to have an undergraduate degree with a 3.0 cumulative GPA, prior coursework in computer science and mathematics, and they will need to submit official transcripts, an updated resume, letters of recommendation, and a personal statement declaring why they are pursuing this degree.

Getting Started Working in Cyber Security in Nevada

There are a lot of potential job opportunities specifically in Las Vegas, in addition to getting an education at UNLV. Las Vegas Sands Corporation is based in Paradise and is a casino and resort company that provides numerous cybersecurity positions. An entry-level analyst will monitor the company’s computer systems and will protect them from any intrusions to manipulate or steal information. They will determine and recommend any changes to vulnerabilities that are found, and they will also report on all security measures in their facilities.

Nevada Cyber Security Careers and Organizations

DEF CON is a hacking conference that takes place annually in Las Vegas, Nevada, in the month of July or August. It is one of the world’s most recognized cybersecurity meetups and plays off of the military term “DEFCON,” or defense condition. Various contests and activities will get attendees involved with actual hacking, and listen to keynote speakers give their experiences. Capture the Flag is one of the more popular activities at the event where teams look to defend their networks from attackers. This provides a great way for information technology professionals, researchers, and engineers to connect and network.