Mt. San Antonio College (Mt. SAC) and five educational partners [California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, California State Universities at Dominguez Hills and San Bernardino, and Whatcom Community College (WA)] are establishing an ATE regional center for cybersecurity, CyberWatch West, serving California, Washington, and Oregon. There are, at present, three other ATE regional centers for cybersecurity education: CyberWatch at Prince George CC in Washington, DC, metropolitan area; CSSIA based at Moraine Valley CC, near Chicago; and CSEC based at the University of Tulsa, in Oklahoma.
The overarching goal of CyberWatch West is to strengthen the cybersecurity workforce in California and the Pacific Northwest. To accomplish this goal, CyberWatch West is concentrating on the following four major areas: (1) student activities, including meaningful internships and a cyber-defense league with weekly virtual exercises; (2) assistance in curriculum development based on recognized standards and creation of cybersecurity pathways from community colleges to four-year institutions; (3) a faculty development and mentor program to help infuse cybersecurity concepts into coursework; (4) outreach and partnership with regional community colleges, universities, high schools, and industry to determine and assist with regional needs in cybersecurity education.
Each of the core partners has large minority student enrollments and the project is targeting these underrepresented groups in cybersecurity. In addition, the consortium includes 16 other postsecondary institutions throughout the western United States and its outreach program is reaching a large number of high schools. The dissemination efforts include a web portal, presentations at national conferences, and an active participation in the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE).
