Is there a cyber security workforce crisis in state governments, computer science homework help

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Computer Science

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Case Scenario:

A membership organization for state government officials has asked your cybersecurity consulting firm to partner with it in developing a one-day workshop on workforce development needs for cybersecurity workers. Your part in this endeavor is to provide the coordinating committee with a position paper which discusses the question: “Is there a cybersecurity workforce crisis in state governments? Your paper should be no more than 3 pages in length and must address both sides of the question (“yes, there is a crisis” and “no, there is not a crisis”).

Research:

  1. Read / Review the Week 5 readings.

  2. Research authoritative sources which support the “Yes” side of the question. Here are several sources to help you get started:

    1. http://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2015/5/11/hiring-cybersecurity-staff-is-hard-for-states

    2. http://www.nga.org/files/live/sites/NGA/files/pdf/2014/1410TheCybersecurityWorkforce.pdf

    3. Comparing Private Sector and Government Worker Salarieshttp://reason.org/news/show/public-sector-private-sector-salary  (This source argues both sides of the compensation / education arguments.)

  3. Research authoritative sources which support the “No” side of the question. For example, states may have a shortage of workers overall. Or, the lack of competitive compensation claim may be inaccurate. Or, you may find that the shortage of cybersecurity workers is unrelated to the type of employer (that is, everyone is having problems finding qualified personnel).

    1. Budgetary Constraints (p. 3, Figure 1.4) http://www.csg.org/knowledgecenter/docs/ta0210workshortage.pdf

    2. IT Workforce hiring issues: http://www.nascio.org/Portals/0/Publications/Documents/NASCIO_ITWorkforce_UnderPressure.pdf

    3. State vs Private Compensation (see “Conclusions” on p. 15) https://www.aei.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/-biggs-overpaid-or-underpaid-a-statebystate-ranking-of-public-employee-compensation_112536583046.pdf

    4. Global talent gap http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/technology/239113-cybersecurity-talent-worse-than-a-skills-shortage-its-a

  4. Review the best practice recommendations from the NICE report. Select three to five best practices which state governments could benefit from implementing.  http://niccs.us-cert.gov/sites/default/files/documents/files/Best%20Practices%20for%20Planning%20a%20Cybersecurity%20Workforce_062813_v4.2_FINAL_NICE%20branded_0.pdf

  5. Review alternative recommendations for attracting and retaining qualified talent (workers) to a state or region. Select 3 or more which you believe would be beneficial for state government hiring efforts for cybersecurity personnel.

    1. About Good Neighbor Next Door (ask yourself if this program or something similar should be extended to cybersecurity personnel) http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/program_offices/housing/sfh/reo/goodn/gnndabot

    2. Attracting Big Talent to Small Cities http://www.hreonline.com/HRE/view/story.jhtml?id=534358095

    3. 7 Ways to Attract and Retain Talent (without having to compete on salaries) http://www.oyginc.com/articles/attractarticle1/

    4. Government Needs to Rethink How They Attract IT Talent  http://www.governing.com/columns/tech-talk/gov-remaking-your-workforce.html

Write:

Write a two to three page summary of your research. At a minimum, your summary must include the following:

  1. An introduction or overview of the cybersecurity workforce issues which impact State governments. This overview should address the political, economic, socio-cultural (included education), and technological factors which contribute to the perceived lack of qualified cybersecurity workers. This introduction should be suitable for an executive audience.

  2. A separate section which addresses three to five specific reasons why states have difficulty hiring a sufficient number of trained and qualified cybersecurity workers for positions in state agencies and offices.

  3. A separate section which addresses three to five specific “non-cybersecurity” reasons why a workforce shortage affecting state governments may currently exist. You may also choose to argue that the workforce shortage arises out of state budget problems rather than training and education or salary.

  4. A recommendations section which addresses three to five marketing or hiring actions which state governments could take to attract cybersecurity talent and reduce or alleviate a cybersecurity workforce shortage for trained and qualified cybersecurity personnel. These recommendations should include several alternative practices which deemphasize salary.

    Your white paper should use standard terms and definitions for cybersecurity and privacy. The following sources are recommended:

Guidelines on Security and Privacy in Public Cloud Computing http://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/Legacy/SP/nistspecialpublication800-144.pdf

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Explanation & Answer

Attached.

Running head: CYBER SECURITY IN STATE GOVERNMENTS

Case Study #3: Is there a Cybersecurity Workforce Crisis in State Governments?
Name
Institution

1

CYBER SECURITY IN STATE GOVERNMENTS

2

Is there a Cyber security Crisis in State Governments?
The rising threat of cyber attacks is cannot to be ignored any longer. This is because the
Internet is no longer just an alien concept that few people can understand, let alone utilize. The
degree of information communication technology penetration is in superlatives in the United
States. The government too has not been left behind in this uptake. The provision of essential
services is increasingly becoming heavily dependent on electronic means for actualization.
Electricity, water, traffic, medical records, criminal and civil justice records all rely on some
form of electronic actualization at one point or the other. The sanctity of the institutions therefore
becomes paramount. In light of the vulnerability of these installations to remote control and
damage, national and state security mechanisms must rise to the challenge that protecting them
presents.
Literature on the subject does indeed suggest that there is a crisis in procuring a
workforce for cyber security in state government Jenni highlights various breaches of
infrastructure in the recent past. The fact that computers hold a wealth of personal and financial
information is very appealing to cyber criminals (Bergal, 2015). Hiring a skilled and committe...


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