The Arizona Department of Homeland Security (AZDOHS) announced that Glendale Community College’s (GCC) Gaucho Security Operations Center (GSOC) will serve as the Central Regional Security Operations Center (Central RSOC). A soft-launch of the operation took place on March 23, 2026.
The Central RSOC is a cornerstone of AZDOHS’s 2025–2029 Strategic Plan to build statewide capacity to defend against cyber threats and to strengthen Arizona’s cyber workforce pipeline as part of their Statewide Cyber Readiness Program.
“The Central RSOC at Glendale Community College represents a significant step forward for Arizona’s cybersecurity posture and workforce development,” said Ryan Murray, Deputy Director and Chief Information Security Officer, Arizona Department of Homeland Security. 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.
The Gaucho Security Operations Center opened in August 2023 and GCC was the first community college in Arizona to have an intern-run security operations center. The GSOC currently provides the Town of Wickenburg, Wickenburg Unified School District, and the City of Litchfield Park with cybersecurity services - to monitor, detect and inform of cybersecurity threats.
“Placing the Central RSOC at GCC’s GSOC demonstrates our commitment to integrate education and workforce development,” said Rachelle Hall, Chair for Business, IT & Cyber and Cybersecurity Program Director at GCC. “Our students gain access to hands-on experience and career opportunities while the central Arizona region benefits from cybersecurity monitoring.”
AZDOHS’s Statewide Cyber Readiness Program supports more than 300 local government entities, K–12 school districts, and tribal communities across 15 Arizona counties. This initiative of improving risk posture and incident response capability across Arizona is being delivered with the assistance of Federal, State, and Local Cybersecurity Grant Funding.
The Central RSOC is part of the growing network of RSOCs established under the AZDOHS 2025–2029 Strategic Plan. These centers provide regional coordination, threat monitoring, incident response assistance, and direct cyber readiness support to local partners.
A formal grand opening of the Central RSOC will be announced in the near future, along with additional RSOC activations as they come online later this year.