Strategically located: Learn more about San Diego’s cybersecurity opportunities

• Courses
• Bootcamps and certifications
• Schools
• Jobs and salaries
• Program listings
• Related resources

This guide details everything you need to know about cybersecurity in San Diego. 

It is a comprehensive overview of the latest cybersecurity trends in San Diego, California, including educational opportunities, bootcamps, and jobs.

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Featured Cybersecurity Degree Programs

San Diego Regional EDC report shows that cybersecurity features strongly in the city’s economy, only bested by Aerospace and Cleantech in the top-performing industries. Cybersecurity in San Diego has become more important in recent years, with large corporations on the end of lawsuits due to data breaches. 

Between December 2020 to April 2021, UC San Diego suffered a healthcare breach that impacted almost 500,000 individuals. Also, the San Diego Family Care data breach in December 2021 resulted in a $1 million class action settlement. 

Now, America’s Finest City has become more committed to advancing cybersecurity, with non-profit organizations introducing information security innovations. These NGOs include the Cyber Center of Excellence (CCOE), the EDC’s Advancing San Diego Program, and the San Diego Military Advisory Council.

Related resources

• Cybersecurity degrees in California
• Everything you need to know about cybersecurity bootcamps
• How to respond to cyber hacks and security breaches
• What is cyber defense? An introduction
• Internet safety resources for students

A strong military presence characterizes San Diego’s healthy ecosystem, with nearly 1000 companies in the San Diego region focused exclusively on cybersecurity and prestigious academic institutions such as The University of San Diego (USD). In addition, the USD has a dedicated Center for Cybersecurity Engineering and Technology committed to addressing critical threats to the nation’s information systems. 

The data breaches, military presence, and educational opportunities make San Diego a great place to start and advance your cybersecurity career.

Cybersecurity courses and training available in San Diego 

There are many cybersecurity courses and training available in San Diego. These courses come in different formats, depending on the student’s preference. If you live in the region, there are a few local training centers where you can learn cybersecurity and take cybersecurity training.

Examples of online and in-person/on-site cybersecurity training centers in San Diego are:

Certstaffix training for CISSP: certified information systems security professional

Although the Certstaffix Training is live online, there’s an optional computer center located at 8880 Rio San Diego Drive, San Diego.

• Duration: The Certstaffix CISSP program is a 5-day comprehensive course on Information Systems Security. 
• Aim: This advanced course prepares students for the Certified Information Systems Security Professional Certification exam. 
• Modules: This Certstaffix program is designed with modules in asset security, identity and access management, security and risk management, software development security, and security operations. 
• Course cost: This course costs $3,100.
• Certstaffix also offers several other courses in information security and other cyber-related fields. These courses include CompTIA Security+ and CompTIA PenTest+. All programs are available online and on-site at the Certstaffix computer lab.

NobleProg Web Security with the OWASP testing framework

NobleProg offers a range of cybersecurity training programs in two formats – online/remote training or on-site live training. Students can take the on-site live training at their preferred premises anywhere in San Diego or go to the NobleProg corporate training centers at 9655 Granite Ridge Drive Suite 200, San Diego.

• Duration: The Web Security training lasts 28 hours, usually around four days.
• Aim: According to NobleProg, all its cybersecurity training programs aim to tackle the alarming increase in data breaches. However, the Web Security training with the OWASP Testing Framework aims to help developers, cybersecurity architects, and engineers better secure their web apps and services.
• Modules: The course module covers principles of testing, deriving security test requirements, testing techniques, security test data analysis, and reporting, and security tests integrated into development and testing workflows.
• Course Cost: The course costs start from $8,792 for on-site training in San Diego and $7,992 for online training.
• NobleProg has other training courses such as Ethical Hacker, Network Security Administrator, IoT Security Architecture, and Cyber Crisis & Communications Planning.
• See the full list of all NobleProg cybersecurity training courses.

New Horizons Learning Group – CompTIA CySA+

NH Learning Group offers a CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst Certification in seven different formats. These formats, which are based on student preference, are, Guaranteed to Run (G2R), Instructor-Led Training (ILT), Hosted Distance Learning (HDL), OnlineLive (OLL), Dedicated or On-site Training, Custom Courses, and Room Rentals.

• Duration: This is a 5-day intensive training course.
• Aim: This course prepares students for the CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst Certification.
• Modules: The course covers modules in threat and vulnerability management, software and systems security, security operations and monitoring, incidence response, and compliance & assessment.
• Course costs: The program costs $2,475.
• On-site training is available at the fully-equipped New Horizons San Diego workspace at 7480 Miramar Road Building B, Suite 202, San Diego. Learn more about the New Horizons CySA+ course.

Cybersecurity bootcamps and certifications available in San Diego

Besides the comprehensive training courses above, you can also jumpstart your cybersecurity career with different cybersecurity bootcamps and certifications in San Diego.

San Diego College of Continuing Education – cybersecurity analyst certificate program

• The SDCCE Cybersecurity Analyst certificate program lasts for 18 weeks (135 hours at 7.5 hours weekly). It provides students with the skills to assess cybersecurity threats and provide solutions. Students will take three courses – Cyber Threat and Vulnerability, Cyber Incident Response, and Cyber Security Architecture. Upon completion, students will receive the Cybersecurity Analyst certificate. 
• This certificate course is available on-site at the institution’s premises at 4343 Ocean View Blvd, San Diego.

The University of San Diego cyber bootcamp

• This beginner program is designed to help students without previous experience become cybersecurity professionals. Students can choose between a 12-week full-time program or a 26-week part-time. It is an in-person bootcamp held 10hr/week at the USD campus at 5998 Alcala Park, San Diego.
• The University of San Diego Cyber Bootcamp covers modules in Linux, CLI, Python, pen testing methodologies, digital forensics, threat modeling, and vulnerability discovery, among others. Students will receive professional and career guidance from cybersecurity industry leaders upon completion. Tuition for this bootcamp is $14,995 with up to $1,000 worth of scholarships.

NetCom Learning CompTIA cybersecurity training

• This training is available live online with an instructor or at NetCom’s facility at 4445 Eastgate Mall, San Diego. The NetCom Learning CompTIA Cybersecurity program prepares students for all CompTIA certification exams such as Security+, Advanced Security Practitioner, and PenTest+. The certification program covers core security fundamentals, techniques, tools, and principles to employ. Each certification prep lasts five days and comes with a study guide.

The University of California, San Diego Extended Studies cybersecurity bootcamp

• This is a live online cybersecurity bootcamp at UCSD. It is a 24-week program with classes held thrice weekly. The program covers the CIA triad, risk analysis and mitigation, business continuity planning, compliance, and disaster recovery. 

Industry-recognized cybersecurity certification training in San Diego

Cybersecurity beginners and professionals who want to obtain industry-recognized certificates to advance their careers can do so at these institutions:

• SAN DIEGO CITY COLLEGE: SDCC Cybersecurity offers certificates that are in line with the NICE Cybersecurity Framework, such as Certificate of Achievement in Cybersecurity, Certificate of Performance (Cybersecurity Specialist), and Certificate of Achievement (Network Security II). 

• SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY: SDSU offers a suite of cybersecurity certificates such as Cloud Security and Governance, Cyber Governance and Risk Management, and Cybersecurity in Healthcare. These are specialized cybersecurity that students can take to improve their job prospects in specific industries such as healthcare. All SDSU certificates are fully online and industry-recognized.

Cybersecurity schools in San Diego 

San Diego’s higher education system produces about 3,000 students yearly. In addition, two new cybersecurity master’s programs have just begun at the University of San Diego and California State University San Marcos.

Besides these world-class academic institutes, San Diego has only a few bachelor’s degree opportunities, with institutions offering more graduate and certificate programs.

California state is one of three US states that are best prepared for cybersecurity challenges and similar attacks. The state has a wide scope for cybersecurity degrees, schools, and other cyber-related programs.

Cybersecurity jobs, salaries, and companies in San Diego

San Diego has made significant strides in cyber innovation due to its close ties to the federal government and the presence of prominent military branches like the United States Navy Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR). These military branches employed 3,400 cybersecurity professionals in the region in 2015.

The city boasts over 870 cybersecurity firms and a workforce of 12,400 cyber professionals, collectively generating an annual economic impact of $3.5 billion. NAVWAR employs approximately one-third of the city’s cybersecurity personnel, significantly influencing many cyber companies’ decisions to maintain their operations in the region.

Here, we’ve detailed some cybersecurity jobs in San Diego and their respective salaries according to the employment site, Indeed.

According to CyberSeek data, there are about 15,008 people employed in the cybersecurity workforce in the San Diego-Carlsbad region, with 5,501 cybersecurity job openings still waiting to be filled.

Since San Diego has several institutions to get your certificate and a relatively higher job opening, this city is one of the best places to kickstart your cybersecurity career.

Cybersecurity program listings in San Diego

1. ICOHS College

   San Diego, California

   
   Program: Associate of Science Degree in Information Technology
   Credits: 94
   Cost per credit: $309
   Delivery Method: Hybrid, Online
   Learn more: Program details

2. ICOHS College

   San Diego, California

   
   Program: Cyber Security Specialist Certificate
   Credits: 36
   Cost per credit: $3,995
   Delivery Method: Campus, Online
   Learn more: Program details

3. National University

   San Diego, California

   
   Program: Doctor of Philosophy in Cybersecurity (PhD-CY)
   CAE designation: CAE-CD
   Credits: 60
   Cost per credit: $1,094
   Delivery Method: Online
   Learn more: Program details

4. Point Loma Nazarene University

   San Diego, California

   
   Program: Computer Science: Cyber Security, B.S.
   Credits: 61-64
   Cost per credit: $1,253
   Delivery Method: Campus
   Learn more: Program details

5. San Diego City College

   San Diego, California

   
   Program: Cybersecurity AS
   Credits: 37-38
   Cost per credit: $46
   Delivery Method: Campus
   Learn more: Program details

6. San Diego City College

   San Diego, California

   
   Program: Certificate of Achievement - Cybersecurity
   CAE designation: CAE-CD
   Credits: 31-32
   Cost per credit: $46 in state | $304 out of state
   Delivery Method: Campus
   Learn more: Program details

7. San Diego State University

   San Diego, California

   
   Program: Cybersecurity Bootcamp
   Credits: 32 weeks
   Cost per credit: $15,820
   Delivery Method: Online
   Learn more: Program details

8. University of California–San Diego Extended Studies

   San Diego, California

   
   Program: Cybersecurity Boot Camp
   Credits: 24 Weeks
   Cost per credit: $13,495
   Delivery Method: Online
   Learn more: Program details

9. University of San Diego

   San Diego, California

   
   Program: Cyber Bootcamp
   CAE designation: CAE-CD
   Credits: 12-26 Weeks
   Cost per credit: $13,495
   Delivery Method: Online
   Learn more: Program details

10. University of San Diego

    San Diego, California

    
    Program: Masters in Cyber Security Engineering Online
    CAE designation: CAE-CD
    Credits: 30
    Cost per credit: $1,250
    Delivery Method: Campus, Online
    Learn more: Program details

11. University of San Diego

    San Diego, California

    
    Program: Master of Science in Cyber Security Engineering
    CAE designation: CAE-CD
    Credits: 30
    Cost per credit: $1,250
    Delivery Method: Campus, Online
    Learn more: Program details