As part of our series on the 2024 NICE Conference, we turn our focus to the Business Roundtable. This year’s conference theme “Strengthening Ecosystems: Aligning Stakeholders to Bridge the Cybersecurity Workforce Gap” highlights the collective effort to strengthen the cybersecurity landscape. By joining forces with key partners, we can foster a more robust cybersecurity ecosystem to bridge the workforce gap. Business Roundtable is an association of chief executive officers of America’s leading companies working to promote a thriving U.S. economy and expanded opportunity for all Americans through sound public policy.

The Business Roundtable launched its Cybersecurity Workforce Corporate Initiative in December of 2022. In coordination with its members and inputs from experts at Department of Commerce’s National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE), it recently released a Cybersecurity Workforce Playbook to help employers create entry points to cybersecurity careers and strengthen cybersecurity talent pipelines across various industries and sectors.

Simone Petrella, N2K President, speaks with Erin White, Business Roundtable's Senior Director, Corporate Initiatives, about the Cybersecurity Workforce Corporate Initiative, the recently released Cybersecurity Workforce Playbook, key takeaways for the private sector, and how the Business Roundtable and NICE are working together to support these initiatives.

Find out more about the The Workforce Framework for Cybersecurity (NICE Framework) (NIST Special Publication 800-181, revision 1). Stay tuned for our coverage of the 2024 NICE Conference.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this Special Edition podcast, Dave Bittner speaks with guest Dave Hickton, Founding Director, Institute for Cyber Law, Policy, and Security at the University of Pittsburgh, and former US Attorney, on this 10th Anniversary of the first indictment of Chinese PLA actors. Hear directly from Mr. Hickton what lead to the indictment, the emotions that went along with this unprecedented action, and the legacy of the event.

On May 19, 2014, a grand jury in the Western District of Pennsylvania (WDPA) indicted five Chinese military hackers for computer hacking, economic espionage and other offenses directed at six American victims in the U.S. nuclear power, metals and solar products industries. 

The indictment alleges that the defendants conspired to hack into American entities, to maintain unauthorized access to their computers and to steal information from those entities that would be useful to their competitors in China, including state-owned enterprises (SOEs). In some cases, it alleges, the conspirators stole trade secrets that would have been particularly beneficial to Chinese companies at the time they were stolen. In other cases, it alleges, the conspirators also stole sensitive, internal communications that would provide a competitor, or an adversary in litigation, with insight into the strategy and vulnerabilities of the American entity.

US Attorney Dave Hickton represented the Western District of Pennsylvania and was the signatory on the indictment. His team worked with the FBI Cyber Team in Pittsburgh, PA to bring about this historic action.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we center our conversation around the Cyber Workforce Pipeline. We discuss where the next great wave of talent is going to come.

We talk more about these sources of new talent, such as K-12 programs, higher education, and trade school programs, transitioning military, and other initiatives and programs focused on cultivating the next generation of cyber professionals.

N2K’s Cyber Talent Insights provides security leaders measurable and actionable insights on your organization’s current cyber roles and capabilities to maximize your talent investments and build a business case for better hiring, developing, maintaining, and retaining your technical talent pools. Learn how at n2k.com/talent-insights.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we shift our point of view to provide guidance for an individual's first career or perhaps considering a career change transitioning into the field. We discuss a market-driven approach to career development. We also explore how to discover one’s niche in cybersecurity, including how to stand out in this competitive market and align personal interests with career goals. Lastly, we examine the role certifications play when navigating your path throughout the talent acquisition, development, and retention of the cybersecurity workforce management lifecycle.  

N2K’s Cyber Talent Insights provides security leaders measurable and actionable insights on your organization’s current cyber roles and capabilities to maximize your talent investments and build a business case for better hiring, developing, maintaining, and retaining your technical talent pools. Learn how at n2k.com/talent-insights.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the first episode of the series on cybersecurity workforce development, we dive into the complex world of cyber workforce management and planning, particularly as it pertains to the perspective of the enterprise.

We explore the current state of the cybersecurity workforce, navigate various challenges in talent acquisition, and explore the nuances of job classifications, titles, compensation, and the dynamics of remote, onsite, and hybrid work environments. 

Our experts further address talent development strategies like professional development, training, conferences, mentorship programs, communities of interest, and corporate cyber academies. 

Finally, we touch upon the critical aspect of talent retention, an essential component in closing the cybersecurity talent gap. We hope you will join us on this journey.

N2K’s Cyber Talent Insights provides security leaders measurable and actionable insights on your organization’s current cyber roles and capabilities to maximize your talent investments and build a business case for better hiring, developing, maintaining, and retaining your technical talent pools. Learn how at n2k.com/talent-insights.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Workforce Framework for Cybersecurity (NICE Framework) (NIST Special Publication 800-181, revision 1) provides a set of building blocks for describing the Tasks, Knowledge, and Skills (TKS) that are needed to perform cybersecurity work by individuals or teams. Through these building blocks, the NICE Framework enables organizations to develop their workforces to perform cybersecurity work, and it helps learners to explore cybersecurity work and to engage in appropriate learning activities to develop their knowledge and skills.

On this Special Edition podcast, N2K CyberWire's Dave Bittner is joined by the team at NIST and FIU's Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy to delve into the history of the NICE Framework through its latest update and looking into the future. Brian Fonseca, Director at the Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy, shares an introduction to the NICE Framework. Karen Wetzel, NICE Framework Manager, discusses the updates to the framework. Rodney Petersen, Director of NICE, talks about what these updates mean to cybersecurity education's future.

Resources:

And be sure to check out our live webinar: CISOs are the new Architects (of the Workforce)

Join N2K’s Simone Petrella and Intuit’s Kim Jones on Wednesday, March 27th for an online discussion about the pivotal role security leaders play in shaping the security workforce landscape, and how we can start showing up for the future of our industry. Learn more and register on the event page.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this webinar, N2K Networks Cyber Workforce Consultant Dr. Sasha Vanterpool shares how to update job descriptions to better reflect cyber role expectations to improve hiring, training, and retention.

To view the original webinar on demand, visit here.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this special edition of Solution Spotlight, N2K President, Simone Petrella is talking with ISC2 CEO Clar Rosso about putting a dent in the cybersecurity workforce gap through empowerment, breaking down barriers and expanding DE&I initiatives.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the dynamic field of cybersecurity, it’s well established that creating more opportunities for diversity and inclusion is essential for developing a highly skilled workforce. As an industry, we are starting to see the fruits of that labor, but there is a growing need for diverse leadership to nurture continuous innovation and resilience in cybersecurity.

As part of N2K’s 2023 Women in Cyber content series, we’re excited to host an engaging virtual panel discussion moderated by N2K's President Simone Petrella featuring insights, experiences, and strategies for advancing more women into leadership roles within the field.

This virtual discussion explores different areas including:

This panel discussion is a must-listen event for professionals, leaders, and aspiring cybersecurity experts who are committed to promoting diversity and empowering women to excel in cybersecurity leadership. Don't miss the opportunity to be part of this inspiring conversation and drive positive change in the industry.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As we progress in this technological age, both cybersecurity and critical infrastructure continue to be at the forefront of prevention, protection, mitigation, and recovery conversation topics. From a frontline worker to the top of the C-Suite, security is something we all should be aware of and concerned about. The CyberCon event began in 2018 and provides an opportunity to learn more about cybersecurity and critical infrastructure as well as collaborate with fellow security professionals. 

Dave Bittner recently spoke at CyberCon 2023 at Bismarck State College in North Dakota. While there, he had the opportunity to interview 4 members of the conference planning committee (all past or current chairs of the event) for a better understanding of the event, its focus on a mix of critical infrastructure and cybersecurity, and how the event has evolved over the years.

Dave speaks with:

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices