What are the 7 categories of the Nice Cybersecurity Workforce Framework?

Navigating the Cybersecurity Landscape: The 7 Categories of the 2024 NICE Framework

The ever-evolving cybersecurity landscape demands a skilled and adaptable workforce. The National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) Cybersecurity Workforce Framework, recently updated for 2024 and harmonized with NIST SP 800-181, provides a crucial roadmap for developing and managing that workforce. This framework categorizes cybersecurity work into seven distinct categories, offering a comprehensive structure for understanding roles, responsibilities, and knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) required for effective cyber defense. Let’s explore these seven categories:

1. Securely Provision: This category focuses on the secure development, acquisition, and deployment of systems. Professionals in this area ensure that security is baked into the entire lifecycle of systems, from initial design through implementation and decommissioning. They manage supply chain risks, perform secure configuration, and implement robust access control mechanisms. Think system developers incorporating security best practices or security architects designing secure cloud infrastructures.

2. Operate & Maintain: Keeping systems running securely is the core of this category. Professionals monitor systems for anomalies, patch vulnerabilities, manage security incidents, and conduct regular security assessments. This category includes roles like security analysts, system administrators, and incident responders who work on the front lines of cyber defense.

3. Protect & Defend: This category encompasses proactive and reactive security measures to safeguard information and systems. Professionals design and implement security controls, conduct penetration testing, and respond to cyberattacks. Digital forensics analysts, security engineers, and threat hunters fall under this category.

4. Analyze: Analyzing data to understand cybersecurity risks and vulnerabilities is the focus here. Professionals in this category perform vulnerability scans, analyze malware, conduct threat intelligence research, and develop security metrics. This includes roles like security researchers, malware analysts, and threat intelligence analysts.

5. Oversee & Govern: Establishing and maintaining a strong security posture requires effective oversight and governance. Professionals in this category develop security policies, manage risk, ensure compliance, and oversee security awareness training programs. Examples include chief information security officers (CISOs), security auditors, and risk managers.

6. Collect & Operate: This category deals with the specialized skills required to collect and operate intelligence and data for cybersecurity purposes. Professionals collect data from various sources, analyze it for actionable intelligence, and support law enforcement or national security objectives related to cybersecurity. This includes roles in signals intelligence and cyber operations.

7. Investigate: This category encompasses the investigation of cybercrime and other security incidents. Professionals gather evidence, conduct forensic analysis, and work with law enforcement to identify and prosecute cybercriminals. This includes roles like digital forensic investigators and cybercrime investigators.

The 2024 NICE Framework, aligned with NIST SP 800-181, provides a valuable resource for individuals seeking cybersecurity careers, educational institutions developing cybersecurity curricula, and organizations building and managing cybersecurity teams. By understanding these seven categories, stakeholders can better navigate the complex cybersecurity landscape and ensure they have the right people with the right skills in the right roles to defend against evolving threats.