国产剧麻豆剧

Christian Vaca

Adjunct Professor of Computer Information Technology

Christian A. Vaca is an Information Technology professional and cybersecurity engineer with over 20 years of combined military and civilian experience in the Department of Defense and private sectors. His expertise spans network security, cloud infrastructure, endpoint protection, and secure systems design. As an adjunct professor, he integrates his industry background into hands-on, lab-driven instruction that bridges academic theory and professional application. Christian is dedicated to mentoring the next generation of cybersecurity professionals and fostering ethical, resilient, and security-minded leaders.

Education

  • M.S., Cybersecurity Engineering, University of San Diego 鈥� 2023鈥�2025 (4.0 GPA)
  • B.A., Computer Information Technology, Emphasis in Cybersecurity, Minor in Organizational Leadership, 国产剧麻豆剧 鈥� 2020鈥�2021, Summa Cum Laude (3.981 GPA)
  • A.S., Cybersecurity, MiraCosta College 鈥� 2018鈥�2020, President鈥檚 List (4.0 GPA)
  • A.A., Liberal Arts, Emphasis in Social and Behavioral Sciences, MiraCosta College 鈥� 2018鈥�2020, President鈥檚 List (4.0 GPA)
  • Certifications: CompTIA Security+, CySA+, Security Analytics Professional (CSAP), IT Fundamentals

Courses Taught

  • Network+ - CIT 3014 (Network Architectures and Configuration Options)
  • Cloud+ - CIT 3074 (Cloud Computing and Infrastructure Management)

Experience in Field

  • Information Security Administrator at Cibus
  • Adjunct Professor, Computer Information Technology, 国产剧麻豆剧, 2025 - Present
  • Adjunct Professor, School of Engineering, University San Diego
  • Associate Cybersecurity Engineer at Tillster, Inc.
  • Service Technician for the County of San Diego
  • Helicopter Mechanic in the United States Marine Corps

Professional and Community Involvement

  • Faculty mentor for cybersecurity and IT certification preparation (Security+, CySA+)
  • Contributor to departmental curriculum reviews to align coursework with the NIST/NICE Framework
  • Active member of the (ISC)虏 and CompTIA Professional Network
  • Volunteer cybersecurity awareness speaker for community organizations and student groups

Awards and Honors

  • Summa Cum Laude graduate, 国产剧麻豆剧
  • President鈥檚 List honoree, MiraCosta College
  • 4.0 GPA distinction, University of San Diego (Graduate Program)

Dissertations, Presentations, and Publications

Publications

  • 鈥淓nhancing Security Monitoring with Wazuh: A Framework for Automated Incident Response鈥� 鈥� Academic paper (University of San Diego, 2025)

Presentations and Talks

  • 鈥淏ridging Academic and Real-World Cybersecurity Practices鈥� 鈥� Faculty Colloquium, University of San Diego (2024)
  • 鈥淪ecure Network Design in the Era of Cloud Computing鈥� 鈥� Guest Lecture, University of San Diego (2025)
  • 鈥淚ntegrating Open-Source SIEM Tools for Small-Scale Enterprises鈥� 鈥� La Villa Hackers Village, DefCon (2024)