CISA Releases New Training Guide for Cyber Professionals
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) released a guide on Friday to help current and prospective cyber professionals chart their careers. This guide comes out amid the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)’s announcement of the launch of the Cyber Talent Management System. This system is meant to give hiring managers more pay flexibility to bring skilled cyber employees into the federal government while bypassing USAjobs.
Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas explained, “I am proud to announce that we’re launching our new Cyber Talent Management System in short order. This initiative—which is the product of a law enacted seven years ago—will give us more flexibility to hire the very best cyber talent and ensure we can compete more effectively with the private sector.”
CISA said of the guide in a press release, “This guide is a one-stop-shop for information and resources to help professionals start and/or advance their careers in cybersecurity through training. By using this guide, the cybersecurity profession will understand the applicable work roles, tasks, and knowledge, skills, and abilities that are the keys to success; and discover training and professional development opportunities to build skills and maximize potential.”
The guide helps employees identify career tracks so they can pinpoint areas for growth, understand the Work Roles, Tasks, and Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) needed for different roles, and discover training and professional development opportunities.
The guide provides different avenues for navigating its information based on the role of the individual viewing the guide. For example, the guide assists current or future cybersecurity employees in developing a roadmap for career progression, while also helping cyber managers identify and resolve skills gaps in their workforce. Finally, the guide has usability for human resource workers to help them better understand KSAs needed for different positions and how to navigate those needs in the hiring process.
The guide contains links to free and paid programs that can help users get certifications in cyber security as well as notes on the importance of cybersecurity skills that do not require four-year college degrees.
Lawmakers have proposed DHS reform legislation that would track the success of the Cyber Talent Management System through annual reporting requirements.
