NICE Cybersecurity Workforce Framework

Unlike other fields like physical sciences or mathematics, cybersecurity is relatively new in terms of companies putting resources into making sure their systems are secure and designating roles like the CISO, Chief Information Security Officer. This means that more roles are opening up across the world to aid cybersecurity, and as a result, there need to be more resources put towards cybersecurity education and workforce. NICE, the National Institute of Cybersecurity Education, has created a framework, essentially a nationally established standard of “taxonomy and common lexicon to describe cybersecurity work, and workers, regardless of where, or for whom, the work is performed”. I believe this is much needed and very apt given the current day boom in regards to a need for security in the cyber realm. The framework is split into 7 categories – Analyze, Collect and Operate, Investigate, Operate and Maintain, Oversee and Govern, Protect and Defend, Securely Provision – each of which is further divided into specific areas of work and distance roles that require specialized knowledge and skills. Having a system like this will help current workers in the cybersecurity field in communicating with other peers as well as encourage many students to pursue cybersecurity studies and careers in their future, which is greatly needed.