As the federal government continues to struggle with hiring and retaining enough qualified cybersecurity professionals, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) launched a new cybersecurity career website.
The National Initiative for Cybersecurity Careers and Studies (NICCS) website is a “comprehensive online resource for cyber education and training,” as well as related jobs, said Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano in a release. It uses government, industry and academia assets to provide a comprehensive resource to address the nation’s cybersecurity knowledge needs, according to the DHS.
Users can find training based on location, preferred delivery method, specialty area, or proficiency level through a searchable catalog of cybersecurity training programs and certifications.
The NICCS is a result of a partnership between the DHS, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the Department of Defense, the Department of Education, the National Science Foundation, and the Office of Personnel Management.
The NICCS comes perhaps at the right time, as comgressional are lawmakers working again on new cybersecurity initiatives, which could include provisions for cybersecurity grant programs, improve coordination among federal agencies and develop cybersecurity scholarships at the National Science Foundation.
Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee Tom Carper, D-Del, commended the NICCS and said developing a robust cybersecurity workforce continues to be a top priority.
“Cybersecurity is now one of our nation’s biggest challenges and an issue we must all take very seriously,” said Carper, whose panel provides IT security oversight. “This comprehensivewebsite makes it easier for America’s next generation of cyber experts to find the resources they need to develop the skills necessary to defend our country and be better prepared to face tomorrow’s cyber threats. It remains a top priority of mine to examine the cybersecurity threat we face and define what we need to do to better protect ourselves, including the development of a robust cybersecurity workforce.”
