In 2010, Governor Martin O’Malley announced an initiative to make Maryland the “epicenter” of the growing field of cyber security. This initiative appears well underway with the recent establishment of the new U.S. Cyber Command at Fort Meade in Anne Arundel County. As Gov. O’Malley stated, the Old Line State is already home to key federal agencies charged with the responsibility of cyber security, including the National Security Agency and the National Institute of Standards and Technology. These assets are sure to lure defense contractors and cyber security jobs to the state in the years ahead.

As Maryland seizes this opportunity to become the hub of the critical field of national security, the O’Malley administration and policymakers in Annapolis should consider further opportunities to lead in the cyber sector. One emerging opportunity is for Maryland to lead in cyber security education.

For Maryland families, giving students the opportunity to master computer science and the requisite skills to compete for the new jobs in the cyber security field is an opportunity to gain a competitive advantage in a growing professional field, and an important national security sector.  In addition, Maryland is positioned to provide leadership for the rest of the nation in developing cyber security educational programs, given the state’s excellent higher education institutions (which are launching cyber security programs) and emerging government and private sector assets in this field.

This paper offers a vision for a “Maryland Cyber Security Academy,” an online learning program to provide Maryland students and adults with the opportunity to study computer science and develop expertise for careers in cyber security.

Across the country, virtual or online learning is revolutionizing the ways students learn. American students of all ages increasingly benefit from the opportunity to learn using customized technologies that would have been unimaginable to previous generations. These revolutionary programs, which include full-time online learning schools, cyber charter schools, and blended-learning programs that use technology to supplement traditional instruction, are quickly growing in popularity. Some analysts predict that by the end of the decade half of all high school coursework will occur in a virtual setting.

Creating an innovative Maryland Cyber Security Academy will provide a range of benefits for the state and the country. For Maryland families, the Academy will provide students and adults with the opportunity to acquire skills in high demand in the twenty-first century. For the nation, the Maryland Cyber Security Academy could provide leadership for the nation, ensuring that American students acquire the necessary training and skills to meet the cyber security challenges of the future. Importantly, developing a pioneering cyber security online education academy could ultimately provide a lucrative source of revenue for the state by enrolling tuition-paying students from other states.