NIST Publishes Cyber Workforce Development RFI

Today the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) published a request for information in the Federal Register (82 FR 32172-32174) in supporting its efforts to assess the scope and sufficiency of efforts to educate and train the American cybersecurity workforce of the future in accordance with requirements of the President’s Strengthening the Cybersecurity of Federal Networks and Critical Infrastructure Executive Order (EO 13800).

NIST is specifically requesting answers to the following questions:

1. What current metrics and data exist for cybersecurity education, training, and workforce developments, and what improvements are needed in the collection, organization, and sharing of information about cybersecurity education, training, and workforce development programs?

2. Is there sufficient understanding and agreement about workforce categories, specialty areas, work roles, and knowledge/skills/abilities?

3. Are appropriate cybersecurity policies in place in your organization regarding workforce education and training efforts and are those policies regularly and consistently enforced?

4. What types of knowledge or skills do employers need or value as they build their cybersecurity workforce?

5. Which are the most effective cybersecurity education, training, and workforce development programs being conducted in the United States today?

6. What are the greatest challenges and opportunities facing the Nation, employers, and workers in terms of cybersecurity education, training, and workforce development?

7. How will advances in technology (e.g., artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, etc.) or other factors affect the cybersecurity workforce needed in the future?

8. What steps or programs should be continued, modified, discontinued, or introduced to grow and sustain the Nation's cybersecurity workforce, taking into account needs and trends?

Comments should be submitted via email at cybersecurityworkforce@nist.gov. Comments will be posted at https://nist.gov/​nice/​cybersecurityworkforce. Comments should be submitted by August 2^nd, 2017.