28 Feb Cybersecurity hot region: San Diego at a glance

Cybersecurity hot region: San Diego at a glance

STEVE MORGAN, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

June 30, 2015

San Diego made cybersecurity headlines over recent months when defense contractor Raytheon (Waltham, Mass.) announced they are investing $1.57 billion to create a new cybersecurity company with private-equity firm Vista Equity Partners LLC. The new firm will combine Raytheon Co.’s cyber products unit with Websense, Inc. (headquartered in San Diego), which Raytheon agreed to acquire from Vista.

There’s a lot more happening on the cybersecurity scene in San Diego. As part of an ongoing series, the Network Security Report looks at the hot cyber regions in the U.S.

San Diego Firms on the Cybersecurity 500

There’s several San Diego based firms on the Cybersecurity 500 list of the world’s hottest and most innovative cybersecurity companies. Here’s three to watch:

• DB Networks innovates cyber security through intelligent continuous monitoring. Their customers include the world’s largest financial institutions, manufacturers, healthcare, and governments.

• Edgewave provides security analytics & network monitoring from battle-proven US Military cybersecurity Veterans. More than 6,000 companies worldwide trust Edgewave for their Internet, Email and network security solutions.

• iboss Cybersecurity is a leading provider of innovative APT Defense, Web Security and Mobile Security Solutions. More than 4,000 enterprise customers trust iBoss and use their leading edge cybersecurity solutions to protect against today’s advanced threats.

Upcoming Cybersecurity Events in San Diego

San Diego is home to some of the most well respected cybersecurity events held annually. Here’s three upcoming conferences to think about attending:

• The Power Grid Cybersecurity Exchange brings C-level utility executives together to learn how to improve their cybersecurity strategy. The event takes place Aug. 31 to Sept. 1, 2015 at Paradise Point in San Diego.

• SANS Institute’s Cyber Defense San Diego is being held at the Hard Rock Hotel from Oct. 19-24, 2015. The event features hands-on, immersion-style training courses for security professionals at all levels.

• NICE, the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education, will be held Nov. 2-4, 2015 at Paradise Point in San Diego. The NICE 2015 Conference and Expo features thought leaders from education, government, industry and nonprofits to address the future cybersecurity education needs of the nation.

Cybersecurity University Programs in San Diego

Several local universities in the San Diego area provide top cybersecurity educational and degree programs. Here’s three well respected programs:

• Webster University, Master of Arts (M.S.) in Cybersecurity. Cybersecurity graduate students learn to create communications networks protected from cyber crime, cyber fraud and cyber espionage and solve real-world problems such as securing cyber networks and ensuring online security.

• National University, Master of Science (M.S.) in Cyber Security and Information Assurance. This is a professional degree for those who endeavor through technical and managerial measures to ensure the security, confidentiality, integrity, authenticity, control, availability and utility of the world’s computing and information systems infrastructure.

• San Diego State University, Graduate Program in Homeland Security. The HSEC Program – which was the first of its kind in the nation – offers interdisciplinary graduate study leading to the Master of Science (M.S.) degree in Homeland Security.

San Diego’s Cyber Center of Excellence

The Cyber Center of Excellence (CCOE), based in San Diego, is a public-private partnership dedicated to accelerating the regional economy by promoting alignment and collaboration within the Cyber community.

Founded by a collection of world-class cyber companies with operations in San Diego, the CCOE is open to any organization with a stake in the regional economy. Early participants include Sentek Global, ESET, General Dynamics, Qualcomm, FICO (Fair Isaac Corp.), and the United States Navy’s Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR).

San Diego’s Cybersecurity Economy

According to the CCOE:

• Economic Impact – Current economic impact of cybersecurity is greater than hosting three Super Bowls every year.

• Job Creation – Employment in cybersecurity firms was projected to grow by 13 percent over 2013-2014, and professional jobs such as software developers and information security analysts were expected to grow by 25 percent. (2015-2016 figures have not been published)

• Defense Industry – The Space & Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR) employs nearly half of all the cybersecurity jobs in San Diego, pumps more than $705 million in total economic impact in the San Diego cybersecurity industry, and is a huge contributing factor for many cyber companies to remain located in San Diego.

The weather is hot in San Diego, and so is the cybersecurity market. Stay tuned to Network World’s Network Security Report for more coverage of hot cyber regions in the U.S.

This article originally appeared in Network World.

Steve Morgan is founder and CEO at Cybersecurity Ventures and editor-in-chief of the Cybersecurity Market Report and the Cybersecurity 500 list of the world’s hottest and most innovative cybersecurity companies.