PHOENIX — The Arizona Department of Homeland Security selected Glendale Community College to house its new regional security operations center (RSOC), a key piece of the state’s strategy to build a cybersecurity workforce pipeline.
The RSOC will operate out of the existing Gaucho Security Operations Center, an intern-run facility that has provided cybersecurity monitoring for the town of Wickenburg, Wickenburg Unified School District and the city of Litchfield Park since 2023.
GCC was the first community college in Arizona to operate a student-run security operations center.
Ryan Murray, the Arizona Department of Homeland Security’s chief information security offer, says the RSOC represents a significant step forward for the state’s cybersecurity.
“Bringing regional operations, training and workforce development together on a college campus accelerates the ability to protect local government, K–12 districts, tribal communities and critical infrastructure while creating real career pathways for students and residents across the state,” Murray said.
The center is a main piece of the department’s Statewide Cyber Readiness Program, which supports more than 300 cities, school districts and tribal communities across Arizona’s 15 counties.
The program is funded through federal, state and local cybersecurity grants.
In 2024, Glendale Community College’s cybersecurity team was honored at the White House, where Program Director Rachelle Hall served as a panelist at a national event focused on expanding access to high-paying jobs in cybersecurity.
A formal grand opening date has not yet been announced.
