ICS News Archive

Irvine, Newport Beach rated among top cybersecurity hubs in U.S.

Cybersecurity professionals looking at top destinations for work-life balance will want to consider Newport Beach and Irvine,according to a recent report by GoodCall LLC, which ranked the Orange Counties No. 4 and No. 26, respectively, out of 221 U.S. cities for available cybersecurity jobs and high salary potential, as well as affordable living and generous amenities. The two Southern California cities ranked high for offering continuous sunshine, coastal living and master-planned convenience to residents. In particular, Newport Beach scored high on salary and amenities potential for new and seasoned cybersecurity experts alike.

When it came to the number of jobs available in the cybersecurity sector, Irvine was ranked No. 34, coming out just above Newport Beach at No. 35.

Other California cities that made it onto list include Carlsbad (14), Redondo Beach (17), Palo Alto (22), Santa Barbara (25), San Francisco (28), Santa Clara (34), Santa Monica (38) Pleasanton (39), Santa Maria (40), Mountain View (43) and Sunnyvale (49).

Cybersecuirty has been considered a hot-button issue for the last several years, with many high-profile incidents making headlines in recent months such as the recent release of classified documents by WikiLeaks and the current FBI investigation into allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Many influential companies like Cylance Inc., CrowdStrike Inc. and SecureAuth Corp. – all based in Irvine – have helped to turn the city into an emerging cybersecurity hub.

California-based Cybersecurity Ventures predicts that consumers and companies will spend an estimated $1 trillion globally in the next five years on cybersecurity needs. This equates an annual growth rate of up to 15 percent through 2021.

ICS has long been at the forefront of cybersecurity in education, housing Chancellor’s Professor of Computer Science Michael Franz’sSecure Systems and Software Laboratory, and Chancellor’s Professor of Computer Science Gene Tsudik’s Secure Computing and Networking Center (SCONCE), which focuses on research for protecting information and computing. More recently, ICS played an instrumental role in the launch of UCI’s new Cybersecurity Policy and Research Institute (CPRI), a multidisciplinary research center dedicated to developing solutions to cybersecurity challenges at the intersection of technology, law and policy.

— Katherine Li Smith