Explore CyberSeek at http://cyberseek.org/
Visualizing the need for and supply of cybersecurity workers across the country, a cybersecurity jobs heat map, CyberSeek, has been developed by CompTIA in partnership with Burning Glass Technologies. The tool provides data to help employers, job seekers, policy makers, training providers, and guidance counselors meet today’s increasing demand. When the tool was first launched in 2016, CyberSeek unveiled information on the supply of workers with relevant credentials and career pathways in cybersecurity that map opportunities for advancement in the field.
In the Fall of 2019, NICE, CompTIA, and Burning Glass Technologies announced that the CyberSeek tool would be expanded to tackle the increasingly critical problem of cybersecurity skills gaps and worker shortages. In this expansion, enhancements were made to be able to retrieve even more information at the national, state, and metro levels and in the private and public sector.
In the Fall of 2021, in addition to regular data updates, CyberSeek announced the release of a new Education and Training Provider map. The list of providers is searchable by geography, by institution, and by the type of credential offered – associate, bachelor’s and graduate degrees, and industry-recognized certifications.
An informational webinar was in February 2016, providing a background on the vision and scope for the project. View the recording of The Cybersecurity Talent Search Solution: An Informational Webinar.
In March 2017, A NICE Webinar was held on the topic of career pathway systems. The CyberSeek Pathway tool was demonstrated as a mechanism to identify entry-, mid-, and advanced-level cybersecurity jobs and apply the NICE Cybersecurity Workforce Framework to help individuals identify the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary for career advancement. View the recording of the NICE Webinar: Building a Career Pathways System for Cybersecurity.
In May 2018, a webinar was held to show how to use CyberSeek to gain actionable insight about the cybersecurity workforce. A demo was also provided. View the recording of Hack the Cybersecurity Skill Gap with CyberSeek.org.
How did the idea of CyberSeek come about?
This idea originated through the intersection public and private sector discussions covering the many challenges and questions associated with the cybersecurity jobs landscape. These discussions led to the recognition of the need for new ways to assess and ultimately improve the cybersecurity talent pipeline. Research by Burning Glass, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and CompTIA have shown that cybersecurity jobs are in high and growing demand and that a critical shortage of qualified workers exists across the nation.
What is the need for CyberSeek? What problem does it address?
While data sources and reports covering various aspects of the cybersecurity jobs market already exist, a number of gaps and shortcomings remain. These gaps can lead to inefficiencies, extra costs, wasted time, or missed opportunities for employers, job seekers and other stakeholders. This initiative will build upon existing efforts to expand the integration of data covering the supply of cybersecurity workers with the demand for cybersecurity workers.
Who are the potential users of CyberSeek?
With ever greater rates of interconnectivity and digitalization, cybersecurity now touches every business, government agency, worker, or citizen on some level. Consequently, there are many potential users of this map, including: employers, job seekers, academic institutions, training providers, guidance counselors, and public policy makers.
What is the role of NIST and NICE in this initiative?
This project is supported by the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE), a program of the National Institute of Standards and Technology in the U.S. Department of Commerce, under Grant # 60NANB19D124.
What is the role of CompTIA in this initiative?
CompTIA serves as one of the project co-leads. CompTIA will provide expertise in the areas of workforce development, data analytics, visualization, and project management.
The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) is a not-for-profit trade association serving the needs of technology professionals, technology companies, and aspiring technology workers. With over 2 million certifications issued to date, CompTIA is the global leader in vendor-neutral certifications, providing workers of all levels a mechanism to develop and validate their technical skills. CompTIA has invested millions in resources, initiatives, research, and philanthropy to advance the IT jobs landscape.
What is the role of Burning Glass in this initiative?
Burning Glass serves as one of the project co-leads. Burning Glass will provide expertise in the areas of data analytics, software development, visualization, and project management. Burning Glass is a leading labor market analytics firm, and is playing a growing role in informing the global debate on education and the workforce. Founded in 1999 with the goal of developing the world’s leading technologies for matching people with jobs, its technologies deliver insight across workforce and economic development, career exploration and counseling, and job matching. Burning Glass solutions drive critical workforce, education, and economic development initiatives for more than a dozen state and national governments, as well as numerous educational institutions, regional agencies, global recruitment agencies, major employers, and job boards.
Beyond the parties above, what other stakeholders are involved in providing input and guidance?
Because of the expansive nature of cybersecurity, it is critical to have input from the many stakeholders involved in the space. To formalize this input, an advisory committee was formed at the kick-off of the project and held meetings in 2015-2016. The committee included representation from government, academia, not-for-profit organizations, technology companies, and businesses that invest heavily in cybersecurity workforce development.
What are the key parameters of this initiative? What elements are considered outside the scope of this initiative?
While this map will have the ability to meet the needs of a wide range of users, it is not the type of initiative that allows for custom work for specific groups or individuals. It should be thought of as a public platform that can be used and leveraged, rather than an entity providing custom consulting services.
CyberSeek is supported by the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE), a program of the National Institute of Standards and Technology in the U.S. Department of Commerce, under financial assistance award # 60NANB19D124. Learn more at cyberseek.org.