Chrisean Pritchett

2/25/2026

MS Julia Nickel, FBI Speech Takeaways

FBI

BLUF: The key takeaways from MS Nickel speech was the information on FBI, the duties of a Threat Analysis, The main threats to cybersecurity, and what I would need for a Internship.

They deal with threats on the federal level and mostly deal with the reaction instead of prevention (Cisca the latter). They collect evidence to track criminals and find criminal hubs. Cyber security has become vital to them due to threats coming from everywhere in every field. They just started a program called Winter Shield. They focus on fighting against advance persistent threat, mainly China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. China Is so far greatest of the four due to the frequency, secrecy, and impacts of the attacks. The main things that need to be protected are transportation, water, and energy other than information in general. Human assets must also be protected such as government officials and vital corporations with long-standing government agreements. There are over 500 different types of jobs in the FBI, but you must have a secret clearance.

The Job of a Threat Analysis/ Intelligence Agents

Their job is to find the target and to record the threat activity. For example, find the target location through their Ip address and tracking the traces of the incident to the target. They also analyze what type of tools and platforms the criminal is using to research these tactics for later prevention.

Enemy Tactics in Order and techniques

Recon, Initial compromise, establish foothold, escalate privileges, internal recon, move laterally, expand presence, exfiltrate data, maintain presence.  They will exploit trusted networks through social engineering.  They will usually seem legitimate by using certified credentials. They will use common inconsistent security flaws, such as weak passwords. They will use old software if found on their target, making updates vital. Lastly a lot of information on system are public, allowing adversaries to exploit your information.

Internships

Internships require a secret clearance and are open for the summer of 2027. It is open for all US citizens and no illegal drug use. To keep your clearance, you need to work 16 hours every month as you do your schoolwork. The certification preferred for cybersecurity should be found on the FBI website.

Conclusion

In conclusion MS Nickel Presentation was very helpful in explaining the goal of the FBI, different cybersecurity roles, and the main threats I would have to face in the future if got a job in the FBI.