Bright Future: U of Montana New CyberLab Potential Job Gold Mine

In Montana alone, over 700 cyber workforce positions are unfilled. 

Recognizing a need that will only continue to escalate - studies show job growth increasing 33% nationally in the next 10 years - the University of Montana's expanding footprint in this field will be celebrated. If you are curious about some of what is involved in the curriculum, you might want to pay a visit to campus Thursday morning.

YOU ARE INVITED!

UM News Service tells us that the UM Business College plans a ribbon cutting for their new CyberLab. The event will take place at 9:15 a.m. this Thursday, April 3, in the Gallagher Business Building, Room 108. The event is open to the public.

University of Montana President Seth Bodnar and Dr. Suzanne Tilleman, the Sprunk and Burnham Endowed Dean at the UM College of Business, will be hosting the  ribbon-cutting event, officially opening the new CyberLab. 

In 2023, UM welcomed its inaugural class of cybersecurity majors. UM is in the second year of offering a bachelor’s in cybersecurity, with 43 students enrolled in the National Security Agency-approved program.

Through a combination of private donors and state funding, the UM College of Business built a CyberLab to provide the hardware, software and other tools to "equip students with the skills to protect our state, businesses and citizens from cyber threats."

Nationally, cybersecurity job pay ranges widely, with the median annual salary for information security analysts around $120,300. As in any profession, compensation will be lower or higher depending on experience, role and location.

But in a field with an already extremely high demand and continued upward trend, it's  pretty safe to say that this is a degree with a bright future.