Sierra Vista is a leader in the cyber security industry. From education to industry, government to military, multiple sectors of Sierra Vista’s economy are participating in the growing cyber industry–and growing Sierra Vista’s role as a cyber security cluster.

Military & Cyber Superiority

As the headquarters of the Network Enterprise Technology Command (NETCOM) 9th Signal Command and hosting the U.S. Army Intelligence Center of Excellence, Fort Huachuca is at the cutting edge of Army’s growing cyber security missions. NETCOM is a major subordinate of the U.S. Army Cyber Command located in Fort Gordon, Georgia and is key to ensuring the Army’s global network enterprise is maintained and protected. The Fort also hosts the Army Intelligence Center and teaches the doctrine, procedures and skills for the intelligence support to all cyber operations in the Army and Department of Defense. Battles are not only fought with soldiers and weapons, as threats to the nation’s electronic information are becoming more and more prevalent cyber warfare is critical to future success. As a result, NETCOM, the Army Intelligence Agency and the many civilian contractors in Sierra Vista that support the Army’s cyber security efforts are more critical now than ever before.

Testing & Certification

Fort Huachuca offers third-party testing to companies that would like to validate their technology. As part of the Department of Defense Major Range and Test Facility Base, Fort Huachuca serves as key partner in intelligence electronic warfare testing. The irreplaceable U.S. Army Electronic Proving Ground (EPG) at Fort Huachuca provides critical services to Army program managers, joint services, other military services, foreign governments, national agencies, and U.S. industry. This mission is possible through the unique climate and federally protected airspace at Fort Huachuca. Here, aggressive, offensive electronic warfare/jamming and global positioning systems testing is conducted— the only U.S. location where such extensive testing is possible, thanks to southeast Arizona’s geography and altitude, as well as state and federal mandates protecting both the airspace and electronic range. Private businesses can conduct both developmental and operational EPG testing at the Post.

 Unmanned Aircraft Systems

Fort Huachuca is the largest unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) training facility in the world. Its $10 million facility contains 25,000 square feet of space and 10 simulators, while managing 964 square miles of restricted air space above the community. Top entrepreneurs and experienced defense agencies come from around the world to test and evaluate their unmanned aircraft systems at Fort Huachuca. For this reason, Sierra Vista is home to some of the nation’s leading civilian contractors that develop UAS technology, like Northrop Grumman and Raytheon.

Helping to provide a technically skilled workforce ready to pursue opportunities within the military, as well as the emerging civilian UAS industry, Cochise College, with the assistance of Northrop Grumman, has developed an unmanned aircraft systems curriculum that enables local students to obtain a UAS technician associate’s degree.

In Sierra Vista, cyber security education starts early. The local CyberPatriot teams routinely punch above their weight class in the Air Force Association’s annual network defense competition ever since the Buena High School team finished second in the nation in 2010. Since then, local schools have led the state in fielding highly performing CyberPatriot teams at both the high school and middle school levels. Cochise College has taken an active role in mentoring students interested in the cyber field. Each year, the community’s Armed Forces Communications & Electronics Association (AFCEA) Club sponsors a competition called Computer Challenge (formerly Computer Olympics). High school, middle school, and elementary school students from the Cochise County area compete to see who the best of the best is. In the summer, Cochise College also hosts cyber camps for the area students, training them in cyber along with creating an environment of ethical hacking.