The Ultimate Roadmap for all Cyber Security Roles
The headline might sound too good to be true, “This is definitely clickbait they will say”. But trust me, you’ve found something special!
Cyber Career Pathways Tool
This tool presents an interactive way to explore work roles within the Workforce Framework for Cybersecurity (NICE Framework). It depicts the Cyber Workforce according to five distinct, yet complementary, skill communities. It also highlights core attributes among each of the 52 work roles and offers actionable insights for employers, professionals, and those considering a career in Cyber.
Understanding the Cyber Career Pathways Tool
The Interagency Federal Cyber Career Pathways Tool is a collaborative effort spearheaded by the Federal Chief Information Officers (CIO) Council in partnership with multiple federal agencies in the United States. The tool serves as a centralized resource that provides comprehensive information on various cyber career paths within the federal government. It aims to:
- Standardize Cyber Career Information: Offer a unified framework for understanding the diverse range of cybersecurity roles available in the market.
- Facilitate Career Development: Help employees and job seekers identify potential career trajectories and the skills required for advancement.
- Promote Interagency Mobility: Encourage movement and career growth across different agencies by highlighting transferable skills and common career paths.
The Cyber Workforce Communities Diagram
The Cyber Workforce is comprised of the following Cyber Workforce Communities: IT, Cybersecurity, Cyber Effects, Intel (Cyber), and Cross Functional. The skill communities are color coded to match the Work Role Galaxy below the diagram. The communities encompass the skills required to build, secure, operate, defend, and protect technology, data, and resources; conduct related intelligence activities; enable future operations; and project power in or through cyberspace.
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (IT): Skills required to design, build, configure, operate, and maintain IT, networks, and capabilities. This includes actions to prioritize portfolio investments; architect, engineer, acquire, implement, evaluate, and dispose of IT as well as information resource management; and the management, storage, transmission, and display of data and information.
CYBERSECURITY: Skills required to secure, defend, and preserve data, networks, net-centric capabilities, and other designated systems by ensuring appropriate security controls and measures are in place, and taking internal defense actions. This includes access to system controls, monitoring, administration, and integration of cybersecurity into all aspects of engineering and acquisition of cyber capabilities.
CYBER EFFECTS: Skills required to plan, support, and execute cyber capabilities where the primary purpose is to externally defend or conduct force projection in or through cyberspace.
CYBER INTEL: Skills required to collect, process, analyze, and disseminate information from all sources of intelligence on foreign actors’ cyber programs, intentions, capabilities, research and development, and operational activities.
CROSS FUNCTIONAL: Skills required to lead, acquire, and manage cyber initiatives; develop cyber workforce talent; and conduct cyber related legal and law enforcement activities.
Key Features
The Cyber Career Pathways Tool allows you to explore the cyber workforce through the lens of Cyber Workforce Communities, expand your knowledge of NICE Framework roles through core Tasks, Knowledge, and Skill statements (TKS statements) and compare related work roles to gain a better understanding of how to obtain the skills needed to move from one work role to another.
Features:
- Cyber Workforce Communities diagram
- Work role display by Cyber Workforce Community
- Individual work role displays with core TKS statements
- Data comparison between two roles (overlap in TKS statements, common relationships, etc.)
Get Started
There are multiple ways to start using the Cyber Career Pathways Tool.
- Pick a Cyber Workforce Community.
- Select a work role from the galaxy.
- Use the Select a work role search field and drop-down.
- Search for private-sector job titles.
Navigating the Cyber Workforce Community
Explore the Cyber Workforce using the Cyber Workforce Communities buttons. Each section of the Cyber Workforce within the Diagram can be selected to display a subset of the work roles.
Let us look at some GRC roles. We will navigate to cross functional, because we’re serve as the bridge between management and red, blue, purple (as many colour as there are) teams.
Using the Work Role Galaxy
The Work Role Galaxy is an interactive display of all 52 work roles in the NICE Framework.
- Hovering over a work role will display a pop-up containing basic work role information and draw connection lines to related work roles based on the Relationship Filter button selection made .
- Selecting a Technology Program Auditing work role will display more details.
We can the core role responsibility of an auditor, whixh is to evaluate technology programs or individual components to determine compliance with a standard
The tool also has spotlight videos that break down the roles on Youtube, you should give it try.
You can check the tasks that you will be carrying out as an auditor. These tasks are divided core tasks and additional tasks.
Information regarding the knowledge and skills needed to be an auditor can be found in the knowledge and skills tab. The IT Auditoe core knowledge base and additional knowledge can be found in the picture below. The same applies for the core skills and additional skills to be a functional Auditor.
Now you have been armed with the information to go out there and upskill, learn and go get that Auditor job, YOU ARE WELCOME!!
Selecting a Work Role
You can also find a role by using the select a work role field. We start at theSelect a Work Role search field and drop-down list, which is grouped by Cyber Workforce Community. The roles listed can be filtered by typing part or all of a work role’s name in the search field
Search by Functional Job Titles
Functional job titles are names that are commonly used for work roles in the private sector. The Search Job Titles link allows you to search for commonly used job names.
Once a job title is selected, one or more work roles will be displayed. Select a role to set the corresponding dropdown.
Comparing Work Roles
Compare related work roles to gain a better understanding of how to gain the skills needed to move from one work role to a related work role.
- To compare, select one of the related work roles in the work role galaxy, or select a work role from the second dropdown.
- The information panel will update to provide a side-by-side comparison of the selected work roles.
- To compare the originally selected role to a new role, select a different work role in the galaxy, or select a different work role from the second dropdown.
- In the example below, we have compared a role in Policy and planning (GRC) against one in cyberspace operations (SOC)
Relationship Filters
Use the filters to explore more information about each individual work role and common TKS Statements, on/off ramps, and secondary work roles.
Relationship Toggles
By default, the information panel will show all TKS Statements for the selected role or roles. Changing the Relationship toggles to Federal Core will filter these statements for the corresponding work role.
When the TKS relationship button is set (see below) roles shown in the galaxy for a hovered or selected role will be those related by top 5 shared TKS Statements. If the Selected TKS toggle is set to Federal Core, the roles shown will be related by top 5 shared Federal Core TKS Statements.
Relationship Buttons
Selecting from the filter buttons (TKS, On Ramps, Off Ramps, and Secondary Work Roles) will change the relationships shown in the galaxy for a hovered or selected role. The selected relationship button will change when navigating the data tabs. Use the lock button to prevent this.
- When On Ramps is selected, On Ramps to Cross Functional roles from other communities are not shown.
- Similarly, when Off Ramps is selected, Off Ramps to Cross Functional Roles from other communities are not shown.
To reset or clear the galaxy, select the Clear Selection button.
The Importance of the Interagency Federal Cyber Career Pathways Tool
The introduction of the Interagency Federal Cyber Career Pathways Tool is a significant milestone in strengthening the federal cyber workforce. Here are several reasons why this tool is vital:
- Addressing the Cyber Talent Shortage: The cybersecurity field faces a well-documented talent shortage. By providing clear and accessible career pathways, the tool helps attract new talent to the field and retain existing professionals.
- Enhancing Workforce Readiness: With rapidly evolving cyber threats, it is crucial that employees in the space have the skills and knowledge needed to respond effectively. The tool’s focus on continuous learning and development ensures that the workforce remains prepared for emerging challenges.
- Promoting Diversity and Inclusion: The tool supports efforts to create a more diverse and inclusive cyber workforce by offering career guidance to individuals from varied backgrounds. It helps break down barriers to entry and advancement, fostering a more representative and capable workforce.
Conclusion
The Cyber Career Pathways Tool represents a strategic approach to addressing the cybersecurity talent needs . By utilizing this resource for career development, skill assessment, and training guidance, the tool can empower you to become a cyber professionals and navigate your career paths with confidence and purpose.
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