The Best Cybersecurity Programs and Training in Houston

Cybersecurity Guide

This is a comprehensive guide about cybersecurity opportunities in Houston, including schools, certifications, bootcamps, and job opportunities.

Houston is the fourth-largest city in the country and home to some of the most prominent organizations in the world that handle big data. The largest medical center in the world, the Texas Medical Center, is located in Houston, Texas. The institution hosts over 10 million patient encounters annually and employs 106,000 staff.

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Energy and healthcare are two of the biggest industries in the Houston economy, and these sectors have all experienced data breaches in recent years. For example, in February 2022, the Houston Health Department suffered a data breach that affected about 10,000 patients. In addition, global energy and technology services provider, Gyrodata, headquartered in Houston, experienced a ransomware attack on their employee data in 2021.

Other sectors that dominate the Houston economy, such as education, have also reported cases of data breaches recently. As these Houston cyber-attacks grow at an alarming rate, there’s an urgent need for cybersecurity education and expertise in the region. Now, more than five institutions have one form of cybersecurity-related program in Houston. The University of Houston’s cybersecurity program is also ranked as one of the best in the country.

There are several cybersecurity courses in Houston. Most of these courses are online and can be accessed from anywhere in the world. But you can also take on-site cybersecurity courses and training in Houston. These courses are still available remotely, but the institutions provide a campus or training center for students to learn in classrooms.

The Houston Community College cybersecurity programs are nationally recognized by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the National Security Agency (NSA). HCCS’s cybersecurity programs award Certificate Level 1 and Certificate 2, and Associate of Applied Science degrees.

The institution has several cybersecurity courses in Houston, such as Artificial Intelligence in Cybersecurity, Cybersecurity Challenge, and Computer Systems Networking – Cybersecurity – Specialization, AAS. These courses are available online and on-site at the HCCS’s campus at 3100 Main St, Houston. Learn more about the Houston Community College Cybersecurity Courses in Houston here.

This beginner cybersecurity training course teaches students the fundamentals of cybersecurity and prepares them for industry certifications such as CompTIA Security+.

Due to the rate of data breaches in Houston, this course is specifically tailored to prepare students against cyber attacks. The course modules cover secure coding, critical infrastructure risk management, security awareness, and web security. NobleProg also offers other cybersecurity training from beginner level to advanced.

The training costs vary depending on the program but are between $1,450 for beginner cybersecurity courses and up to $9990 for advanced level courses in Certified Ethical Hacking. All cybersecurity training courses are on-site live in the NobleProg corporate plazas at 700 Milam Suite 1300, Houston. See more info about the NobleProg cybersecurity training in Houston.

The Rice University cybersecurity bootcamp is a 24-week intensive program that prepares students who want to begin a career in cybersecurity. The modules cover topics in information security, networking, and IT.

This bootcamp prepares students for certification exams such as CompTIA Security+ and Certified Ethical Hacker. Students will work with industry tools like Metasploit, Wireshark, Nessus, and others. The Rice University cybersecurity bootcamp is available on-site on the school’s campus at 6100 Main St, Houston, and classes are 10 hours per /week. The program costs $11,495.

The Houston Baptist University cybersecurity bootcamp is an accelerated training for students with little or no IT background. It prepares them with the essential skills needed for entry-level jobs in cybersecurity. This cybersecurity bootcamp is in two formats:

The Houston Baptist University cybersecurity bootcamp costs $4,000 for non-HBU students, while HBU students must speak to their academic advisors via email for registration and scholarship opportunities. Upon successful completion, students will receive a Certificate of Completion issued by HBU and ThriveDX aligned with the NICE-NIST Framework.

The HBU cybersecurity bootcamp is available on-site at the school’s campus – 7502 Fondren Rd, Houston. See full details on this cybersecurity bootcamp in Houston and how to register here.

Although Flatiron is a virtual training school, the institution unveiled a Houston-based campus at 708 Main St, Houston. Students can attend the cybersecurity analytics bootcamp online or in-person at this campus.

This immersive 4-month program is for students who want careers as Security Analysts, Network Security Consultants, or Tier 1+ SOC Analysts. The program covers modules in network and system administration, security intelligence, event management, and threat intelligence. At the end of this program, students will produce a capstone project of all the skills they’ve learned. Career coaching, mentorship, and job support are available to students on completion.

This program costs $15,000. Learn more info to register for the Flatiron cybersecurity engineering bootcamp in Houston.

Besides these bootcamps and training, Total Seminars LLC is an industry-certified institution that provides cybersecurity certifications in Houston:

Total Seminars creates instructional IT books that prepare students for different certifications such as CompTIA Security+, CompTIA Cloud+, and CompTIA A+, among others. The institution solicits experts from the cybersecurity industry to curate books, exams, videos, training simulations, and exam vouchers. Learn more about Total Seminars’ books for cybersecurity certifications.

A recent initiative by the Texas government, Senate Bill 820, requires all schools in the state to develop cybersecurity modules and provide training to instructors and faculty staff. This will help to build and protect their cyber infrastructure against ransomware attacks and data breaches. They must also conduct risk assessments and appoint a cybersecurity administrator to act as a point of contact for the state, school districts, and parents.

There are not many cybersecurity master’s programs in Houston. However, the University of Houston System is changing that. The institution has two separate degree-granting universities that offer Master’s programs in cybersecurity. The first one is an online Master of Security Management (MSM) at the University of Houston Downtown, and the other is a Master of Science in Cybersecurity at the University of Houston campus.

The state of Texas takes cybersecurity seriously. If you’re looking for more cybersecurity education opportunities in the state, here’s a full guide to cybersecurity in Texas.

Since 2020, there have been a series of cyber attacks in Houston’s energy, healthcare, and education sectors – three of the city’s biggest industries. This means that companies in the city and the entire Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land metro area now demand cybersecurity experts. It’s no wonder that the region has a slightly higher cybersecurity supply (71 percent) than the national average (66 percent).

Here are some cybersecurity job titles in Houston, their respective salaries (May 2021 – April 2022), and the common certifications that employers in this region require.

CYBERSECURITY ANALYST 

The average salary of a Cybersecurity Analyst in Houston is $100,508, which is about 18 percent higher than the national average.

Common Certifications: Companies in the Houston region commonly ask for qualifications such as Certified Information Systems Auditor, CompTIA Security+, GIAC Certification, CISSP, GSEC, etc.

PENETRATION & VULNERABILITY TESTER

The average salary of a Penetration & Vulnerability Tester in Houston is $143,733, which is about 21 percent higher than the national average.

Common Certifications: CEH, Offensive Security Certified Professional, CISSP, GPEN, and GWAPT.

IT AUDITOR

The average salary of an IT Auditor in Houston is $90,988. This is the same as the national average.

Common Certifications: CISSP, CISM, CPA, Certified Internal Auditor, and Certified Information Systems Auditor.

SYSTEMS ENGINEER

The average salary for a Systems Engineer in Houston is $78,228. This is 24 percent below the national average. 

Common Certifications: Employers usually demand certificates such as CCIE, CCNA, CCNA Security, CISSP, CompTIA Security+, and CompTIA Network+, among many others.

CYBERSECURITY CONSULTANT 

The average salary of a Cybersecurity Consultant in Houston is $121,130, which is 23 percent higher than the national average. 

Common Certifications: Some qualifications that Houston employers demand for this role are: CISP, CISSP, and Certified Information Systems Auditor.

CYBERSECURITY MANAGER/NETWORK SECURITY ENGINEER

The average salary of a Cybersecurity Manager or Network Security Engineer in Houston is $126,541, 16 percent above the national average.

Common Certifications: Employers in this region usually demand qualifications such as CCIE, CCNA, CCSP, CCNP, CISSP, Certified Information Systems Auditor, CompTIA Security+, GIAC Certification, etc.

CYBERSECURITY ARCHITECT 

The average salary for a Cybersecurity Architect in Houston is $187,064. This is 27 percent higher than the national average.

Common Certifications: Applicants are required to have at least a CISSP certification, among others.Overall, Houston is a great place to have a cybersecurity career. The majority of the pay scale in this city is higher than the national average. Houston’s fastest-growing companies are hospitals, Insurance companies, energy, and HRTech organizations. These are companies that cannot afford data breaches and cyber attacks. So, despite the relatively higher supply, the Houston-Woodlands-Sugar Land region still demands cyber-related experts, with 9,297 cybersecurity job openings between May 2021 through April 2022.