Welcome to the 2019 spring edition of the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) eNewsletter. As we continue into another year of energizing the cybersecurity education and workforce development community, we strive to provide insightful developments from academia, industry, and government. For example, in the government spotlight article this quarter, we showcase the workforce implications of the National Cyber Strategy, including current efforts to enhance, modernize, and reward talent. In support of building and enhancing talent, the academic and industry spotlight articles focus on a shift in training approaches and introducing cybersecurity into the classroom. On the heels of taking a month to celebrate women’s history, enhancing diversity to build a stronger cybersecurity workforce is also emphasized in this edition. The featured article shares new resources for attracting, retaining, and supporting women in cybersecurity careers. This includes a report, community scan of efforts, and one pagers with actions for specific audiences. I hope that this particular article piques your interest and provides you with take-aways that you will implement in your own organizations.

Infusing Cybersecurity Concepts into PK-12 Education: The Complexity of Integrating Multiple Standards

By Gretechen M. Richards, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Emergency Management and School of Education, Center of Information Security and Assurance (CISA), Jacksonville State University, and Tommy E. Turner, Ph.D., Dean of the School of Education, Jacksonville State University

Could investing in teachers be an easy fix to the cybersecurity workforce shortage? Trained teachers could reach a multitude of students—and a few teachers could even transfer to industry and help fill the cybersecurity workforce gap. Read More

Train like you Fight, Fight like you Train: Beyond Table Top Exercises

By JC Vega, COL (USA Retired), Executive Security Advisor, X-Force Command Cyber Range Coach, National Security Institute Visiting Fellow, IBM Security, and Daniel J.W. King, COL (USA Retired), X-Force Command Cyber Range, Chief of Operations, IBM Security

The paradigm shift for cybersecurity crisis response training is here. If you want to prepare for a security breach, tabletop exercises and unpracticed runbooks aren’t enough. Cyber responders, from Cyber Incident Response Teams (CIRTs) to Security Operation centers (SOCs), and from C-suites to boardrooms, require a whole-of-business response to act with confidence in dynamic, business do-or-die situations. Read More 

National Cyber Strategy: Developing a Superior Cybersecurity Workforce

By Rodney Petersen, Director, National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education, National Institute of Standards and Technology, U.S. Department of Commerce

In September 2018, the Trump Administration announced a National Cyber Strategy – “the first fully articulated strategy in 15 years.” The Strategy articulated four pillars with corresponding priority actions and strategies. One of the pillars, “Promote American Prosperity”, includes the priority action to “Develop a Superior Cybersecurity Workforce.” The stated objective of this pillar is to “Preserve United States influence in the technological ecosystem and the development of cyberspace as an open engine of economic growth, innovation, and efficiency.” Read More