U.S. Army and Air Force Cybersecurity Careers: Information for Students by Michael Erbschloe - HTML preview

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NSA/DHS National Centers of Academic Excellence for Cyber Defense Focus Areas.(20)

Focus Areas are for use with the CAE IA/CD Knowledge Units document:

  • Cyber Investigations
  • Data Management Systems Security
  • Data Security Analysis
  • Digital Forensics
  • Health Care Security
  • Industrial Control Systems – SCADA Security
  • Network Security Administration
  • Network Security Engineering
  • Secure Cloud Computing
  • Secure Embedded Systems
  • Secure Mobile Technology
  • Secure Software Development
  • Secure Telecommunications
  • Security Incident Analysis and Response
  • Security Policy Development and Compliance
  • Systems Security Administration
  • Systems Security Engineering

Cyber Investigations

This Focus Area encompasses the Knowledge Units necessary to impart the necessary skills and abilities for performing technical analyses of computer incidents and intrusions to determine source, infiltration path, mechanism, system modifications and effects, damages, exfiltration path, data exfiltrated, and residual effects. This Focus Area builds on the following 2-Year core Knowledge Units:

Basic Data Analysis

Cyber Threats

IA Fundamentals

IT Systems Components

Networking Concepts

Policy, Legal, Ethics, and Compliance

This Focus Area builds on the following 4-Year core Knowledge Units: N/A

This Focus Area requires the following optional Knowledge Units:

Digital Investigations

Forensic Accounting

Fraud Prevention and Management

IA Compliance

Security Risk Analysis

Data Management Systems Security

This Focus Area encompasses the Knowledge Units necessary to impart the necessary skills and abilities for the secure configuration, operation and maintenance of databases and database management systems housing sensitive data. This Focus Area builds on the following 2-Year core Knowledge Units:

Cyber Threats

Fundamental Security Design Principles

IA Fundamentals

Intro to Cryptography

IT Systems Components

Networking Concepts

Policy, Legal, Ethics, and Compliance

System Administration

This Focus Area builds on the following 4-Year core Knowledge Units:

Database Management Systems

Operating Systems Concepts

This Focus Area requires the following optional Knowledge Units:

Cloud Computing

Cybersecurity Planning and Management

Data Administration

Databases

IA Compliance

Secure Programming Practices

Security Risk Analysis

Data Security Analysis

This Focus Area encompasses the Knowledge Units necessary to impart the necessary skills and abilities for the analysis of data (e.g., system logs, network traffic) to identify suspected malicious activities. This Focus Area builds on the following 2-Year core Knowledge Units:

Basic Data Analysis

Basic Scripting or Introductory Programming

Fundamental Security Design Principles

Networking Concepts

This Focus Area builds on the following 4-Year core Knowledge Units:

Database Management Systems

Probability and Statistics

This Focus Area requires the following optional Knowledge Units:

Data Administration

IA Architectures

IA Compliance

Intrusion Detection

Security Program Management

Security Risk Analysis

Systems Engineering

Wireless Sensor Networks

Digital Forensics

This Focus Area encompasses the Knowledge Units necessary to impart the necessary skills and abilities for the analysis of computer systems (hosts, servers, network components) to determine the effects that malware has had on the system. This Focus Area builds on the following 2-Year core Knowledge Units:

Basic Scripting or Introductory Programming

IA Fundamentals

Intro to Cryptography

IT Systems Components

Networking Concepts

Policy, Legal, Ethics, and Compliance

System Administration

This Focus Area builds on the following 4-Year core Knowledge Units:

Networking Technology and Protocols

Operating Systems Concepts

This Focus Area requires the following optional Knowledge Units:

Data Structures

Device Forensics

Digital Investigations

Forensic Accounting

Hardware Reverse Engineering

Host Forensics

Media Forensics

Network Forensics

Operating Systems Theory

Software Reverse Engineering

Vulnerability Analysis

Health Care Security

This Focus Area encompasses the Knowledge Units necessary to impart the necessary skills and abilities for the design, development, operation and maintenance of computer systems used in health care applications. This Focus Area builds on the following 2-Year core Knowledge Units:

Cyber Defense

Cyber Threats

Fundamental Security Design Principles

IA Fundamentals

Intro to Cryptography

IT Systems Components

Networking Concepts

Policy, Legal, Ethics, and Compliance

System Administration

This Focus Area builds on the following 4-Year core Knowledge Units:

Database Management Systems

Network Defense

This Focus Area requires the following optional Knowledge Units:

Data Administration

Databases

IA Compliance

IA Standards

Life-Cycle Security

Security Program Management

Software Security Analysis

Supply Chain Security

Industrial Control Systems/SCADA Security

This Focus Area encompasses the Knowledge Units necessary to impart the necessary skills and abilities for the design, development, operation and maintenance of industrial control systems used in critical infrastructures (e.g., finance, transportation, energy). This Focus Area builds on the following 2-Year core Knowledge Units:

Cyber Defense

Cyber Threats

Fundamental Security Design Principles

IA Fundamentals

IT Systems Components

Networking Concepts

System Administration

This Focus Area builds on the following 4-Year core Knowledge Units:

Network Defense

Networking Technology and Protocols

Operating Systems Concepts

This Focus Area requires the following optional Knowledge Units:

Cybersecurity Planning and Management

Embedded Systems

Hardware/Firmware Security

Industrial Control Systems

Intrusion Detection

Operating Systems Hardening

Secure Programming Practices

Security Risk Analysis

Systems Engineering

Vulnerability Analysis

Network Security Administration

This Focus Area encompasses the Knowledge Units necessary to impart the necessary skills and abilities for the secure configuration, operation and operation of an enterprise computer network (to include infrastructure devices, network services and the servers upon which they run). This Focus Area builds on the following 2-Year core Knowledge Units:

Basic Scripting or Introductory Programming

Cyber Threats

IA Fundamentals

Intro to Cryptography

IT Systems Components

Networking Concepts

This Focus Area builds on the following 4-Year core Knowledge Units:

Network Defense

Networking Technology and Protocols

This Focus Area requires the following optional Knowledge Units:

Advanced Network Technology and Protocols

Certification and Accreditation

Intrusion Detection

Life-Cycle Security

Network Administration

Network Forensics

Penetration Testing

Supply Chain Security

Vulnerability Analysis

Network Security Engineering

This Focus Area encompasses the Knowledge Units necessary to impart the necessary skills and abilities for the design of secure network infrastructures and security analysis of network traffic. This Focus Area builds on the following 2-Year core Knowledge Units:

Basic Scripting or Introductory Programming

Cyber Defense

Cyber Threats

Fundamental Security Design Principles

IA Fundamentals

Intro to Cryptography

IT Systems Components

Networking Concepts

Policy, Legal, Ethics, and Compliance

This Focus Area builds on the following 4-Year core Knowledge Units:

Network Defense

Networking Technology and Protocols

This Focus Area requires the following optional Knowledge Units:

Advanced Cryptography

Advanced Network Technology and Protocols

Analog Telecommunications

Digital Communications

Life-Cycle Security

Mobile Technologies

Network Administration

Network Forensics

Penetration Testing

RF Principles

Security Risk Analysis

Supply Chain Security

Systems Engineering

Vulnerability Analysis

Secure Cloud Computing

This Focus Area encompasses the Knowledge Units necessary to impart the necessary skills and abilities for the design, development, operation and maintenance of secure cloud architectures. This Focus Area builds on the following 2-Year core Knowledge Units:

Basic Scripting or Introductory Programming

Cyber Defense

Cyber Threats

Fundamental Security Design Principles

IA Fundamentals

Intro to Cryptography

Networking Concepts

Policy, Legal, Ethics, and Compliance

System Administration

This Focus Area builds on the following 4-Year core Knowledge Units:

Network Defense

Networking Technology and Protocols

Operating Systems Concepts

This Focus Area requires the following optional Knowledge Units:

Advanced Cryptography

Advanced Network Technology and Protocols

Cloud Computing

IA Compliance

Life-Cycle Security

Network Administration

Operating Systems Hardening

Operating Systems Theory

Security Risk Analysis

Supply Chain Security

Virtualization Technologies

Vulnerability Analysis

Secure Embedded Systems

This Focus Area encompasses the Knowledge Units necessary to impart the necessary skills and abilities for the design, development, analysis and secure use of embedded systems technologies. This Focus Area builds on the following 2-Year core Knowledge Units:

Basic Scripting or Introductory Programming

Cyber Threats

Fundamental Security Design Principles

IA Fundamentals

IT Systems Components

Networking Concepts

Policy, Legal, Ethics, and Compliance

This Focus Area builds on the following 4-Year core Knowledge Units:

Networking Technology and Protocols

Operating Systems Concepts

Programming

This Focus Area requires the following optional Knowledge Units:

Data Structures

Embedded Systems

Hardware Reverse Engineering

Hardware/Firmware Security

Industrial Control Systems

Life-Cycle Security

Low Level Programming

QA / Functional Testing

Secure Programming Practices

Supply Chain Security

Systems Programming

Secure Mobile Technology

This Focus Area encompasses the Knowledge Units necessary to impart the necessary skills and abilities for the secure design, development, utilization and management of mobile technologies, devices and services. This Focus Area builds on the following 2-Year core Knowledge Units:

Cyber Defense

Cyber Threats

Fundamental Security Design Principles

IA Fundamentals

Intro to Cryptography

IT Systems Components

Networking Concepts

Policy, Legal, Ethics, and Compliance

This Focus Area builds on the following 4-Year core Knowledge Units:

Networking Technology and Protocols

This Focus Area requires the following optional Knowledge Units:

Advanced Network Technology and Protocols

Data Structures

Device Forensics

Digital Communications

Hardware/Firmware Security

IA Compliance

IA Standards

Life-Cycle Security

Mobile Technologies

Network Forensics

RF Principles

Secure Programming Practices

Security Risk Analysis

Supply Chain Security

Systems Programming

Wireless Sensor Networks

Secure Software Development

This Focus Area encompasses the Knowledge Units necessary to impart the necessary skills and abilities for the development of secure software (i.e., software that performs only as it is intended functions without the presence of exploitable vulnerabilities). This Focus Area builds on the following 2-Year core Knowledge Units:

Basic Scripting or Introductory Programming

Fundamental Security Design Principles

IT Systems Components

This Focus Area builds on the following 4-Year core Knowledge Units:

Programming

This Focus Area requires the following optional Knowledge Units:

Algorithms

Data Structures

Formal Methods

Secure Programming Practices

Software Assurance

Software Security Analysis

Vulnerability Analysis

Secure Telecommunications

This Focus Area encompasses the Knowledge Units necessary to impart the necessary skills and abilities for the design, development and secure use of secure telecommunications systems, digital and analog. This Focus Area builds on the following 2-Year core Knowledge Units:

Cyber Threats

Fundamental Security Design Principles

Intro to Cryptography

Networking Concepts

Policy, Legal, Ethics, and Compliance

This Focus Area builds on the following 4-Year core Knowledge Units:

Network Defense

Networking Technology and Protocols

This Focus Area requires the following optional Knowledge Units:

Advanced Network Technology and Protocols

Analog Telecommunications

Digital Communications

Life-Cycle Security

Low Level Programming

Mobile Technologies

Network Administration

Network Forensics

RF Principles

Security Risk Analysis

Supply Chain Security

Systems Engineering

Systems Programming

Security Incident Analysis and Response

This Focus Area encompasses the Knowledge Units necessary to impart the necessary skills and abilities for analyzing security incidents on a system or network to determine the weakness (technological or operational) that allowed the incident to occur and developing appropriate mitigations to prevent further incidents via that weakness. This Focus Area builds on the following 2-Year core Knowledge Units:

Basic Data Analysis

Cyber Defense

Cyber Threats

Fundamental Security Design Principles

IA Fundamentals

IT Systems Components

Networking Concepts

Policy, Legal, Ethics, and Compliance

System Administration

This Focus Area builds on the following 4-Year core Knowledge Units:

Network Defense

Networking Technology and Protocols

Operating Systems Concepts

This Focus Area requires the following optional Knowledge Units:

Cybersecurity Planning and Management

Digital Investigations

IA Architectures

IA Compliance

IA Standards

Life-Cycle Security

Operating Systems Hardening

Overview of Cyber Operations

Security Program Management

Security Risk Analysis

Supply Chain Security

Vulnerability Analysis

Security Policy Development and Compliance

This Focus Area encompasses the Knowledge Units necessary to impart the necessary skills and abilities for the development of organizational policies related to information assurance / cyber defense and the analysis of operational systems for compliance with applicable IA/CD-related laws and policies. This Focus Area builds on the following 2-Year core Knowledge Units:

Cyber Defense

Cyber Threats

Fundamental Security Design Principles

IA Fundamentals

IT Systems Components

Policy, Legal, Ethics, and Compliance

System Administration

This Focus Area builds on the following 4-Year core Knowledge Units: N/A None

This Focus Area requires the following optional Knowledge Units:

Cybersecurity Planning and Management

IA Architectures

IA Compliance

IA Standards

Life-Cycle Security

Security Program Management

Security Risk Analysis

Supply Chain Security

System Security Administration

This Focus Area encompasses the Knowledge Units necessary to impart the necessary skills and abilities for the secure configuration, operation and maintenance of a computer system (host or workstation). This Focus Area builds on the following 2-Year core Knowledge Units:

Basic Scripting or Introductory Programming

Cyber Defense

Cyber Threats

IA Fundamentals

IT Systems Components

Networking Concepts

Policy, Legal, Ethics, and Compliance

System Administration

This Focus Area builds on the following 4-Year core Knowledge Units:

Network Defense

Networking Technology and Protocols

Operating Systems Concepts

This Focus Area requires the following optional Knowledge Units:

Certification and Accreditation

Host Forensics

IA Architectures

IA Compliance

IA Standards

Intrusion Detection

Life-Cycle Security

Network Administration

Operating Systems Hardening

Security Program Management

Security Risk Analysis

Supply Chain Security

Systems Engineering

Vulnerability Analysis

Systems Security Engineering

This Focus Area encompasses the Knowledge Units necessary to impart the necessary skills and abilities for the development of secure systems from original idea through its entire lifecycle. This includes requirements definition, allocation of security mechanisms to system components for most effective and efficient implementation to satisfy the requirements, to development, operation, maintenance, and disposition of the system. This Focus Area builds on the following 2-Year core Knowledge Units:

Basic Scripting or Introductory Programming

Cyber Defense

Cyber Threats

Fundamental Security Design Principles

IA Fundamentals

IT Systems Components

Networking Concepts

Policy, Legal, Ethics, and Compliance

This Focus Area builds on the following 4-Year core Knowledge Units:

Networking Technology and Protocols

Operating Systems Concepts

This Focus Area requires the following optional Knowledge Units:

Advanced Network Technology and Protocols

Cybersecurity Planning and Management

Data Structures

IA Architectures

IA Standards

Life-Cycle Security

Low Level Programming

Operating Systems Hardening

QA / Functional Testing

Security Risk Analysis

Supply Chain Security

Systems Engineering

Systems Programming

Virtualization Technologies