Cybersecurity Skills and Workforce Frameworks

In furthering the National Cyber Workforce and Education Strategy, this environmental scan supports:

• Line of Effort 1.3.3 to promote the development of international standards and frameworks relating to foundational cyber skills, and
• Line of Effort 3.4.1 to collaborate with international partners and allies on workforce development best practices.

The scan is a representative sample of cybersecurity, cyber-related, and digital literacy skill and workforce frameworks. 

Skill frameworks are: A collection of information about current and emerging skills, job roles, career paths, and education programs. Skill frameworks can help identify relevant roles within an organization or industry and the skills needed to perform those roles. Skills frameworks can also help employees develop and use skills to achieve their professional goals and positively impact the business.

Workforce frameworks are: An organized approach to describing work and the capabilities of people who do that work in a defined workforce. Workforce frameworks define a common language to form Task, Knowledge, and Skill (TKS) statements that are used to establish relevant Work Roles and Competency Areas. These frameworks are used by employers and education and training providers to identify current and emerging skills, job positions, career paths, and education programs. They are also used by learners and employees to develop and evidence knowledge and skills in support of professional goals and organizational aims.

Download the tables below as an XLSX file

Cybersecurity

This section includes skill and workforce frameworks on topics including: the security of cyberspace, cybersecurity, data security, information assurance, and information security. General security frameworks that incorporate cybersecurity are also included. 

Cyber-related

This section includes skill and workforce frameworks on topics including: cyberspace, cyber, digital, information systems, information and communications technology (ICT), and information technology (IT). 

Digital literacy

UNESCO defines digital literacy as "the ability to access, manage, understand, integrate, communicate, evaluate, and create information safely and appropriately through digital technologies for employment, decent jobs, and entrepreneurship. It includes competences that are variously referred to as computer literacy, ICT literacy, information literacy, and media literacy."