Speakers:  

Pamela McComas - Program Manager at General Dynamics Information Technology

Dr. Sarah Krawlzik - Cyber Solutions Architect at ICF

As the cyber workforce continues to evolve and become more complex, government and commercial companies continue to struggle to define what their ever-changing workforce looks like. Recent graduates are entering the market armed with degrees and certifications, while other professionals are switching mid-career to enter the cyber market. How then do the recruiters and ranking officers who are hiring and managing the cyber workforce ensure they have the right people in the right roles? Fortunately, through the DoD Cyber Workforce Framework (DCWF) and NICE Cybersecurity Workforce Framework, the heavy lifting has been done on establishing the workroles within cyber. And, we also have technology and methodology on our side. By applying knowledge and performance-based assessments and mapping those questions to skill levels and competencies, both industry and government alike can build a cohesive cyber workforce baseline. In our discussion, we’ll talk through the process of building workrole-based assessments that map to skill levels and the knowledge, skills, abilities and tasks defined in the NICE Cybersecurity Workforce Framework. We’ll show how these assessments can help in the recruitment process as a pre-screening tool and can help hiring managers identify strengths and areas for improvement within their existing workforce. Through this approach, the cyber industry can continue to build a baseline that align to the DoD frameworks we are using as our guide for ensuring we have a qualified cyber workforce.