Welcome! My name is Timothy Desir, and I was an intern at NICE this past year. I joined NICE through the Professional Research Experience Program (PREP) at Montgomery College. I am now enrolled at Capitol Technology University to continue studying cybersecurity. During my internship, I’ve had the privilege to work on different projects related to the promotion of cybersecurity education and careers.

In one project I worked on, I researched different cybersecurity professionals whose careers were aligned to the NICE Workforce Framework for Cybersecurity. Throughout this project and others, my mind was opened to both the breadth and depth of the cybersecurity field.

This quarter’s newsletter exemplifies cybersecurity’s wide range of work, discussing topics like machine learning, digital forensics, protecting schools against cyber-attacks, and much more. As technology advances, the need for cybersecurity will only increase. I hope you enjoy these informative and interesting articles and interviews.

Timothy Desir
NICE Intern

Eoghan Casey, Chief Scientist

This issue’s interview is with Eoghan Casey, Chief Scientist at the Department of Defense Cyber Crime Center (DC3). Mr. Casey discusses the relationship between incident response and digital forensics, the importance of engaging with the cybersecurity community for career development, and his own rewarding work helping people, among other topics.

Organization: Department of Defense Cyber Crime Center (DC3)

NICE Framework Categories: Protect & Defend; Analyze; Investigate

NICE Framework Work Roles: Cyber Defense Analyst; Cyber Defense Forensics Analyst; Cyber Defense Incident Responder; Counter-Intelligence Forensics Analyst; Threat/Warning Analyst

Academic Degrees: B.S., Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Berkeley; M.A., Educational Communication and Technology, New York University; Ph.D., Computer Science, University College Dublin

Media Specialists on Front Line in Cybersecurity Education

By Damon L. Austin, Director of Library and Media Services, DeMatha Catholic High School

Information literacy education often falls to school media specialists who offer stand-alone instruction on everything from internet safety to proper computer use to evaluating information sources. However, research reveals that media literacy needs to be included in the curriculum in all classes and not just provided as a stand-alone lesson or topic.

San Diego’s Special Sauce: Collaborative Cybersecurity and Workforce Development

By Lisa Easterly, President and CEO, San Diego Cyber Center of Excellence

San Diego is home to more than 870 cybersecurity firms, and productivity in the area's cybersecurity cluster has grown 7.5 percent since 2018 - nearly triple the average for all San Diego industries. Artificial intelligence has helped mitigate chronic labor shortages by increasing employee productivity with automation of repetitive tasks.

Arkansas Schools Bolster Defenses against Cyber-Attacks

By Ray Girdler, Director of Data Use and Privacy, Arkansas Department of Education

Knowing that ransomware, zero-day exploits, and other cybersecurity threats can hit schools anywhere at any time has spurred school districts around the nation to develop strategies to shore up their defenses. The Arkansas Department of Education launched the first-ever Cyber Threat Response Team for Arkansas public schools in the fall of 2019, and since then it has improved its ability to respond to threats.