The Gaucho Security Operations Center (GSOC) is a unique nationally recognized program in cybersecurity that provides an opportunity for students to serve a paid internship at the end of their program, giving them up to 300 hours of experience in a live security operations center upon graduation. This is the only program of its kind in the district and the state. The GSOC provides cybersecurity as a service to rural municipalities who fall at or below the cybersecurity poverty line; they are a critical infrastructure that demands cybersecurity monitoring but do not have the resources to supply it. The GSOC is added as a supplemental resource to monitor, detect and inform the clients regarding potential cybersecurity threats or vulnerabilities on their network. This program was developed and implemented to answer the gap between academia and the workplace. This program gives students experience upon graduation giving them the experience they need to meet industry requirements.
Each year, MCCCD, in collaboration with the League for Innovation in the Community Colleges, recognizes and celebrates Maricopa employees, their innovative programs and projects, and their commitment to our students' success. The Innovation of the Year program invites all ten Colleges and the District Office to submit their most innovative projects for the Districtwide Innovation of the Year competition.