As often happens, the talk turned to careers. Goldberg told the couple (their names turned out to be Chuck and Kim) that she was a longtime music professor at Cal State San Marcos. The couple told Goldberg that they both worked in the cybersecurity field.

When Goldberg’s face betrayed that she knew nothing about cybersecurity, Chuck and Kim launched into a brief introduction. As Goldberg listened to them, it occurred to her that she might have a personal story that at least touched on cybersecurity. She recounted it to them, and after she was done, Chuck and Kim had to pick their jaws up off the floor.

“They were like, ‘Oh my God, you are going to become famous,’ ” Goldberg recalled.  

Within weeks, Goldberg had been introduced to the organizers of the biggest cybersecurity event in the nation, the RSA Conference in San Francisco, and she was invited not just to appear, but to be a keynote speaker. Soon after that, Jen Easterly, then the director of the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (commonly known as CISA), approached Goldberg and asked her to join an upcoming lecture circuit.

Goldberg’s life hasn’t been the same since that chance encounter in La Jolla. Now, she’s in the process of achieving an even greater level of exposure.

She turned her amazing tale into her first book (non-textbook category), “Notes of Deception: How a Quartet of American Musicians Outwitted the KGB,” released Aug. 25 by HarperCollins, one of the largest book publishers in the world. The book – co-written with Vince Houghton, director of the National Security Agency’s National Cryptologic Museum – chronicles an almost-too-bizarre-to-be-believed episode from the mid-1980s, years before Goldberg joined the faculty at CSUSM.

“I had been sitting on the story for decades,” she said. “I didn’t realize the extent to which people would be really interested.”

More than four decades ago, Goldberg was a saxophonist for the Klezmer Conservatory Band (KCB), a Boston-based group that played mostly Yiddish music. This was during the height of the Cold War, when the United States and the Soviet Union were locked in a battle of nuclear brinkmanship.

Through a newspaper article, the KCB became aware of a musical group in the Soviet republic of Georgia called the Phantom Orchestra, composed mainly of so-called refuseniks (the term for Jewish people who were denied permission to emigrate by the Soviet government) but also Catholic and human-rights activists and artists. The Phantom Orchestra was using music to circulate their story to the Western world, and the KGB (Soviet state police) increasingly viewed the musicians as a threat.

Urged on by locals in their Boston suburb, Goldberg and three of her bandmates decided to travel to the USSR to meet with the orchestra in a show of solidarity. But there was one big catch.

“The caveat was that this had to be undercover, a secret mission,” Goldberg said. “We couldn't tell anybody about it, except for our parents and if we had a boyfriend or girlfriend. Not only that, but in order to take information in and out, we had to have a secret code because we couldn't walk in with people's names and addresses. They would get in trouble.”

Goldberg had the perfect secret code in mind. As musicians, of course, the KCB would be bringing sheet music to Georgia. What if they were to use that as a cipher – effectively obscure their hidden messages in plain sight?

“So it looks just like piano music, but actually it’s directions on how to get to someone’s apartment because their phones were disconnected,” she said.

Goldberg and her bandmates felt thrilled by their proposed deception, by the notion that they would be acting like real-life spies. After the first in-depth interrogation by the KGB, however, their headiness turned to fear. Yet they made it into the Soviet Union with their code undetected, and once they met the members of the Phantom Orchestra, they grew more emboldened.

“We gained so much confidence from them,” Goldberg said. “We became less afraid of the KGB and more defiant, and that helped our ability to manage a difficult situation and what potentially was a very dangerous situation.”

After spending eight days behind the Iron Curtain, Goldberg and Co. tricked the KGB on their way out as well. Then they went to work, lobbying members of Congress and playing concerts to raise awareness of the refuseniks’ plight. Their advocacy ultimately factored into the negotiations between President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev on easing Cold War tensions, and the USSR finally dissolved in 1991.

“Once people started being able to emigrate, of course, our story faded into the woodwork of history,” Goldberg said.

“Notes of Deception” is her latest, boldest attempt to change that. A self-described “pack rat,” she saved all the archival information – reports, news clippings, photos – from the spy mission, suspecting that it could prove useful someday. But none of it emerged until 2022, when the accidental meeting with Chuck and Kim yielded the cybersecurity conference speaking gig, which in turn yielded an exclusive feature about the saga in Wired magazine that attracted widespread attention.

Goldberg decided that she wanted to tell her story in her own words. She had written much of a manuscript – using a sabbatical to piece it together – but was struggling to find a literary agent.

Enter Houghton, the NSA official who had heard about Goldberg’s speeches and read the Wired article. As a historian of cryptology, he was dumbfounded that the tale of Goldberg’s band was unknown to him. He contacted Goldberg, and they hit it off. After Goldberg described her book project, Houghton told her she might have a better chance of getting it published if she recruited a co-author who could sprinkle in more historical context.

“I was like, ‘Hey, Vince, how about you? Do you want to take this on with me?’ ” Goldberg said.

Houghton agreed, and with him on board as an experienced writer (one of his colorful titles is “Nuking the Moon: And Other Intelligence Schemes and Military Plots Left on the Drawing Board”) a bidding war ensued to publish the book.

Now it’s here, and the reception has been enthusiastic. People magazine published an extended excerpt last month, and the Wall Street Journal reviewed the book (among many other outlets). Goldberg already has been interviewed by multiple podcasts and TV stations, and she spoke on a panel at the recent KPBS book festival in San Diego. She also has embarked on a national book tour that will extend through May (she’s able to do it because she has entered the Faculty Early Retirement Program, having taught her final class last spring).

Asked what she hopes readers take away from the book, Goldberg said: “What we did was a little over the top in terms of making a difference in people's lives, but advocacy absolutely makes a difference. Every single day there's something that you can do to change someone's life in a little way. Also, music is a very powerful language in terms of communicating, but also self-empowerment. It's really important for people to have music or the arts or even sports, to have something that they can hold on to that takes them out of their brains to reconnect, recharge and be mindful.”

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

bhiro@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7306

During the academy, students heard from cybersecurity experts, participated in cybersecurity skills workshops, had tours of the CSUSM Instructional and Information Technology Services department and cybersecurity firms, and connected with professionals during a networking and showcasing event for their final projects.

Facilitated by Howard Chan, learning experience designer for the Innovation Hub, the program was created to connect students to emerging industries like cybersecurity, biotechnology and AI through hands-on learning and real-world engagement.

The Innovation Hub’s blend of education and application – as well as support from industry sponsors Extreme Networks, Halcyon, SHI, SentinelOne, VectorUSA and Guidepoint Security – gave students the ability to explore the field of digital defense and gain valuable experience. Thanks to a generous donation from Haiku, students also had access to the learning platform that empowers individuals to master cybersecurity through an immersive and engaging experience.

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim assistant director of editorial and external affairs
ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

Launched in summer 2024 by the Cyber Center of Excellence (CCOE), CSUSM, National University and San Diego State with support from Google’s Cybersecurity Clinics Fund and the Consortium of Cybersecurity Clinics, the clinic has quickly become a vital resource for the region – working to grow a skilled cyber workforce, increase digital security for all and serve as a model for regional collaboratives around the world.

“Our students are protecting small businesses, nonprofits and critical infrastructure,” said CSUSM President Ellen Neufeldt, who spoke at the event. "They’re gaining real-world experience while making a real-world difference and contributing to our region's economic vitality." 

In its first year, the San Diego Cyber Clinic has supported more than 30 local businesses, 18 faculty members and 170 students by providing free cybersecurity services to the community while offering invaluable hands-on training to the next generation of cyber professionals.

“The San Diego Cyber Clinic is thrilled to celebrate one year of advancing the cyber workforce while safeguarding small businesses and under-resourced organizations across our region,” said Lisa Easterly, president and CEO of CCOE. “CCOE is proud to partner with CSUSM, National University and SDSU to deliver a wide range of free cybersecurity services to the community – all made possible through support and mentorship from Google.org and the Consortium of Cybersecurity Clinics. Together, we’re training more students, bolstering more organizations and forging new partnerships to seed the talent pipeline and strengthen regional resiliency.”

Joining Neufeldt as a CSUSM representative at the event Wednesday was Teresa Macklin, one of three directors of the San Diego Cyber Clinic and also director of the Cybersecurity Education Hub at CSUSM. The university offers two online cybersecurity-focused degrees: a Bachelor of Science in cybersecurity and a Master of Science in cybersecurity, both housed in the College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. The latter degree is the first cybersecurity master's program in the region. There also are many cybersecurity-related courses within individual academic programs.

Cybersecurity clinics at higher education institutions provide free digital security services to under-resourced organizations, similar to how law or medical schools offer free community clinics. The San Diego Cyber Clinic provides CSUSM, National University and SDSU students the opportunity to learn cybersecurity and AI skills in an effective, hands-on manner while simultaneously helping to protect vulnerable organizations and critical infrastructure – such as local small businesses, hospitals, schools and energy grids – from cyberattacks.

According to the World Economic Forum's 2025 Global Risks Report, cyber insecurity remains one of the top 10 global risks over the next decade. There are nearly 514,000 open cybersecurity jobs available in the U.S, including 44,000 in California and 5,500 in the San Diego region, and demand for cyber professionals is projected to grow 32% by 2033. To ensure that communities, critical infrastructure and businesses across the U.S. are secure, there is a distinct need for a skilled, diverse and AI savvy cybersecurity workforce.

The San Diego Cyber Clinic is the only multi-institution clinic in the Consortium of Cybersecurity Clinics with a nonprofit industry partner leading the charge, training students to service clients across the public and private sectors in the San Diego region. Through engagement of key industry, academic and government stakeholders, including the city-led San Diego Regional Cyber Lab, the San Diego Cyber Clinic aims to grow an inclusive cyber workforce, increase digital security for all and serve as a model for regional collaboratives.

The San Diego Cyber Clinic is one of 15 new clinics that launched in 2024 at higher education institutions across the country, thanks to a collaboration from Google and the Consortium of Cybersecurity Clinics. 

Cybersecurity clinics at higher education institutions provide free digital security services to under-resourced organizations, similar to how law or medical schools offer free community clinics. The new San Diego Cyber Clinic will give CSUSM, National University and SDSU students the opportunity to learn cybersecurity and AI skills in an effective, hands-on manner while simultaneously helping to protect vulnerable organizations and critical infrastructure, such as local small businesses, hospitals, schools and energy grids, from cyberattacks.

“We have long wanted to start a cyber clinic but lacked resources,” said Teresa Macklin, founding director of the MS in cybersecurity at CSUSM. “The grant provided by Google is very important, not just for the students so that they gain real-world experience, but also for the community organizations. This will help with our mission of serving not just the students, but the region. We have a long-standing collaborative relationship with our cyber clinic partners, and this will help to provide structure for the clinic and other beneficial efforts.”

According to the World Economic Forum's 2024 Global Risks Report, cyber insecurity remains one of the top 10 global risks over the next 10 years. There are nearly 450,000 open cybersecurity jobs available in the United States , including 37,667 in California and 5,092 in the San Diego region, and demand for cyber professionals is projected to grow 32% by 2033. To ensure that communities, critical infrastructure and businesses, both big and small across the U.S. are secure, there is a distinct need for a skilled, diverse and AI-savvy cybersecurity workforce.

“The San Diego region is leading the charge with more than 1,000 cyber firms, top-ranked education and research institutes, and the Naval Information Warfare Systems Command (NAVWAR). This collaborative ‘Ecosystem in Action,’ as highlighted in the White House National Cyber Workforce and Education Strategy, is helping seed and diversify the talent pipeline, which is critical to advancing our country’s homeland security,” said Joseph Oregon, Chief of Cybersecurity, Region 9, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).

The San Diego Cyber Clinic is a unique collaboration among CSUSM, CCOE, National University and SDSU. The only multi-institution clinic in the Consortium of Cybersecurity Clinics with a nonprofit industry partner leading the charge is training students to service clients across the public and private sectors in the San Diego region. Through engagement of key industry, academic and government stakeholders, including the San Diego Regional Cyber Lab, the San Diego Cyber Clinic aims to grow an inclusive cyber workforce, increase digital security for all and serve as a model for regional collaboratives.

“The world is in a moment where emerging technologies, like AI, are creating both new opportunities and threats in the world of cybersecurity,” said Heather Adkins, VP of security engineering at Google. “It’s essential that we invest in growing a strong, diverse and widespread cybersecurity workforce to help protect everyone - from critical infrastructure to small businesses and schools. The 15 clinics that we’re helping to establish serve a wide variety of students across all corners of the U.S., and we’re excited to see the impact they’ll have in their local communities.”

San Diego Cyber Clinic is one of 15 new clinics set to launch in 2024 at higher education institutions across the country, thanks to a collaboration from Google and the Consortium of Cybersecurity Clinics. In addition to $1 million in Google.org funding, the tech company is offering the San Diego Cyber Clinic volunteer mentorship from Google employees, Google Titan Security Keys and scholarships for the Google Career Certificate in Cybersecurity.  

The announcement builds on Google’s 2023 support for 10 clinics, part of a combined commitment to launch 25 Google-supported cyber clinics nationwide by 2025. With the latest round of funding, Google.org has now committed more than $25 million toward creating the diverse and AI- and digital-security savvy workforce needed to protect critical U.S. infrastructure from cyberattacks. 

The right place at the right time.  

But perhaps it was serendipitous for another reason. For how do you explain a random meeting between an American national security expert and a music professor that would eventually become a lifelong connection? 

The most unlikely but accurate answer is art and compassion – two areas that both Goldberg and Easterly said are essential to showing a human side to cybersecurity. 

Easterly, the Director of the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and Lisa Einstein, the Executive Director of CISA’s Advisory Committee, came to Cal State San Marcos earlier this month for a day-long series of events with students and faculty to discuss the role of art and compassion in the highly classified and technical world of cybersecurity. 

“The opportunity to have our students engage with Jen Easterly and Lisa Einstein on the human side of cybersecurity, including how the arts, empathy and imagination matter, was absolutely wonderful,” said Goldberg, who in addition to her role as music professor is executive director of Center ARTES on campus. “Even more so, having our computer science majors, music majors, future teachers, STEM and STEAM ambassadors and cybersecurity club members all gather and decide to work together on future projects is exactly what we hope for in a learning environment.” 

The event, which was tabbed as the intersection of art and cybersecurity, began with an interactive class session with CSUSM students led by Einstein that included music and dance. The topic of the class was integrating art in cybersecurity, and it actively kicked off the visit with a positive tone of what can sometimes be a dry and serious subject. 

Next up was a panel discussion on arts, empathy and cybersecurity that was bookended by creative and inspirational musical performances. Liora Gubkin, dean of the College of Humanities, Arts, Behavioral and Social Sciences, introduced the panel and discussed the importance of working together across disciplines. 

“What most impresses me about the learning opportunity before us is the recognition that complex, technical challenges aren't just tech challenges,” Gubkin told the crowd. “We have to work across the disciplines that often separate our knowledge spaces to successfully confront the challenges we face. And that regardless of the particularity of the problem, a mindset that accesses our creativity and foregrounds our empathy is essential.” 

 Einstein is the picture of this integration. She attended performing arts school from grades 4-9 in Canada. She studied physics at Princeton and then danced professionally. She was also Stanford’s first recipient of a dual master’s degree in computer science and international policy.  

Einstein introduced the original song “Just a Girl Risin’ ” that she wrote while serving in the Peace Corps following a situation where a young boy explained to her that his sister couldn’t do math and science because girls weren’t good at those subjects. 

“It's genuinely how I learned since I was a kid,” she said. “I've written songs to learn stuff. When I moved from Canada to the U.S., I wrote a song about the amendments to learn all of them. I've always engaged creatively with learning. And so if I want to remember something, I tried to write a song about it. And if that resonates, that’s even better.” 

The panel also included CSUSM art, media and design associate professor Lucy HG Solomon and Ranjeeta Basu, a professor of economics and faculty director of the Center for Contemplative Practices on campus. 

It concluded with a three-song set – “The Bugs, They Are A-Changin’ ” written by Einstein to the tune of Bob Dylan’s “The Times, They Are A-Changin’ ” about the need to perform regular updates to our mobile phones; a number with Goldberg playing the soprano saxophone and music department chair Ching-Ming Cheng on piano; and a rendition of the Indigo Girls’ “Closer to Fine”. Music assistant professor Aaron Humble lent his vocal talents to all three songs. 

The link throughout the songs was Goldberg, first playing a drum then a saxophone. Easterly was quick to credit her close friend with keeping empathy and mindfulness at the forefront in whatever one does. 

She was impressed but not shocked at Goldberg’s overwhelming popularity at RSA. 

“Meryl is such a force for positive energy,” said Easterly, who was confirmed as Director by the U.S. Senate on July 21, 2021. “You know, she immediately has a way of just connecting and was so kind and really explained her story there. And then I read about her because they did a story afterwards. It was actually the most popular talk at RSA.” 

As the newest agency in the federal government, CISA is continuing to build its culture through core principles focused on four themes – imagination, empathy, honest feedback and communication. 

The most important thing to Easterly is to create a culture and continue to build that culture around these core principles. 

“I'm just a big believer that empathy is a human skill that all of us need to embrace,” said Easterly, who lost her younger brother to suicide. “Because fundamentally, being able to create trust and high-performing teams, and being an effective leader, is about imagining yourself in the shoes of others so that you can feel their experiences and create compassion for who they are.” 

In 2019, the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security designated CSUSM as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education for the M.S. Cybersecurity program. A bachelor of science and a master of science in cybersecurity are both offered online through Extended Learning.  

Easterly was impressed in her first visit to campus with the culture of care that exists. 

“From my short experience here, I've been totally energized by everything about this campus,” said Easterly, whose dad was a speech writer while her mom was an English teacher who focused on poetry. “The physical beauty of it, the diversity of it. But really, mostly because of the people. From the minute I arrived and met with some of the representatives to meeting the faculty, a lot of the deans and heads of departments and then getting a chance to spend time with the students – both students of arts and music and students of computer science and cybersecurity – it's been a totally electrifying experience.” 

The President Biden nominee said she’s always grateful when she’s able to get out of Washington, D.C., particularly when she has the opportunity to spend time talking about the things she’s most passionate about.  

At the top of that list is ensuring everybody has a deep appreciation for what they need to do to stay safe online.  

“A lot of getting that across effectively is being able to communicate,” she said. “And so I love this morning's discussion about the value of communication, feedback, imagination and empathy because empathy is just a way to connect with people. If you're able to connect with people, then you're able to create that trust. If you're able to create that trust, then communication around the things that you need to do to stay safe online becomes more natural.” 

The day continued with a fireside chat at the Innovation Hub and a student engagement event with STEM and STEAM ambassadors through the Center for Research and Engagement in STEM Education (CRESE). It concluded with a BBQ and jam session at Goldberg’s nearby home. 

An event that took years to put together and more than six months to plan logistically ended like it should have – with Goldberg, Easterly, Einstein and others making impromptu music. 

“Embracing different backgrounds and ways of thinking to solve challenges and problems will no doubt move us forward in many arenas,” Goldberg said. “I could not have been more honored to have the CISA team here with our students and faculty, and I could not be more honored to watch our students shine with them.” 

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist

ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

Director Easterly and Einstein will be accompanied by Dr. Merryl Goldberg, a CSUSM music professor and the executive director of Center ARTES at the university. Goldberg’s notorious reputation for creating secret codes embedded in music during the Cold War era of the KGB demonstrates how arts and humanities degrees directly correlate to national security, specifically within cybersecurity.

“I’m thrilled to visit CSUSM to talk with the next generation of leaders about the intersection between the arts, technology and cybersecurity,” Easterly said. “I am so impressed with CSUSM's commitment to including arts in education; I believe that using creative techniques to reach different audiences about traditionally technical topics will help raise our collective defense and make us all safer. In addition, producing tech that is secure by design requires imagination and a dedication to product quality.”

Discussions will amplify the need to inform creative thinking within arts and science, and keynotes will engage in creative activities themselves as a part of the presentations. Spoiler alert: Director Easterly is an aspiring electric guitarist!

Please RSVP and join us for scheduled sessions either in person or livestreamed, which include:

• Panel discussion and musical performance – 10-11:20 a.m.
• Keynote fireside chat with Jen Easterly – 1:30-2:15 p.m. (join livestream)
• Student engagement activity – 2:30-3:30 p.m.

His technical skills made Miller well-suited to an initial career in his dad’s auto body repair business, but when it was time to look long term, he went back to his roots and back to school. After earning an associate degree in computer science, Miller transferred to Cal State San Marcos to earn a BS in computer science. As an undergraduate, he also learned about the university’s new MS in Cybersecurity: Professional Science Master’s degree.

“It was a new field and something that was leading-edge,” Miller said. “I knew there would be a good opportunity to find a career in that field.”

Blending science and business expertise

With his bachelor’s degree checked off, Miller entered the MS in Cybersecurity: PSM program and also started working full-time as a software engineer. CSUSM’s cybersecurity graduate program uniquely combines advanced science and technical courses, MBA-level business courses and real-world experience to help students develop both industry and leadership skills.

“The nonscience courses prepared me well for my current role,” said Miller, who is now a cybersecurity systems engineer for General Atomics Aeronautical Systems. “We had classes where we learned about business continuity and disaster recovery, and classes where we learned how to create policies and how to present to upper management. I can use something from every course I took.”

Of course, science and technology drive Miller’s career trajectory and he regularly draws on the cybersecurity skills he has developed in networking, code analysis, cryptography, algorithms and more. At General Atomics, Miller works with the Risk Management Framework (RMF) – a structured process used to identify, measure, minimize and monitor risks to an information system – which is applied to products that Miller’s cybersecurity group develops for the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Navy.

Along with following the RMF process, Miller performs system integration functions in which he has worked hands-on with the ground control station, the pilot cockpit for an unmanned air vehicle.

“I’ve had challenges where it’s taken me months to troubleshoot and figure out, ‘Why is this one radio communication channel not working?’ ” Miller said. “There is a sense of accomplishment in really learning the part of the system you are working on and finally coming up with a solution to a difficult problem.”

Room for growth

Because innovation is key to problem-solving and product development, Miller said his position will grow with the times.

“The needs for the Department of Defense are constantly changing, which obviously changes what we’re working on,” he said. “We are also trying to develop and predict future capabilities. In my position, there’s a lot of room for growth.”

And while his position focuses on technology, the end user is always top of mind for Miller.

“I know that the products we make are protecting the service men and women who are out there on the front lines,” he said. “Our main goal is to keep coming up with new technologies and advancing our current technologies to help protect them, to help save lives. In the end, when you know that something you worked on is helping better someone’s life or their safety, that’s really rewarding.”

For more information on the MS in Cybersecurity: Professional Science Master’s degree, please visit csusm.edu/el/cyber.

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist

ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

“We are tremendously honored as this shows that we are providing a high-quality and professionally relevant cybersecurity program for our students,” said Dr. Ali Ahmadinia, a CSUSM computer science professor.

“If you’re a student looking for a program, this designation can be a distinguishing factor in making your decision,” said Teresa Macklin, who serves as director of CSUSM’s cybersecurity program.

The National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense’s mission is focused on reducing vulnerabilities in the country’s information infrastructure by promoting higher education and research in cyber defense and producing professionals with cyber defense expertise.

The National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security examine everything about a program before bestowing an Academic Excellence designation, including the classes taught, the curriculum each class offers, course material and examples of student work.

“It wasn’t a gimme,” Macklin said. “They look at everything you teach. They care not only about the curriculum, but also about the university’s approach to and involvement in the regional cybersecurity ecosystem.”

Added Ahmadinia: “We have a very close relationship with the industry that includes an industry advisory committee, and many of our instructors are working in the field, all of which has contributed to the excellence of our curriculum and professional development opportunities.”

The review included several months of preparation and review.

“It’s a comprehensive process that requires an extraordinary amount of work,” said Macklin, who noted the process prompted a decent dose of introspection that will further improve the program.

Seventeen students are currently enrolled in the master’s degree program at CSUSM, which was launched in 2015. The university is now developing the curriculum for a bachelor’s degree program in the subject with an eye on enrolling its first baccalaureate cohort in the fall of 2021.

The need for cybersecurity professionals is borderline dire. A State of Cybersecurity 2019 report from the industry group ISACA concluded technically proficient cybersecurity professionals are in short supply and difficult to find. Retaining cybersecurity professionals is exceptionally difficult due to demand in job market. Employers responding to a survey noted that less than 25 percent of applicants have the sufficient qualifications to be considered for open cybersecurity positions. The number of jobs for information security analysts is expected to grow 32 percent during the 10-year period ending in 2028, and information security analysts are earning an average wage of more than $100,000 annually in San Diego County, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Globally, there is a shortage of nearly 3 million cybersecurity professionals.

“There is a huge demand globally, nationally and locally,” said Ahmadinia, who attributed much of the regional demand to the area’s strong military presence and San Diego-based defense companies such as Viasat, General Atomics and Naval Information Warfare Systems Command (NAVWAR).

CSUSM’s Professional Science Master’s degree is fully online and combines technical courses with MBA-level business classes and real-world experience.

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist

ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314