The NICE Workforce Framework, also known as the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education, is a resource created by the US government to help organizations recruit and develop a skilled cybersecurity workforce. This framework categorizes various roles within the technology field.

The NICE website is organized into seven sections: “Collect and Operate,” “Investigate,” “Operate and Maintain,” “Oversee and Govern,” “Protect and Defend,” and “Securely Provision.”

Two roles that caught my interest are under the category “Analyze Threat.” The first one is “Threat Analyst,” which involves identifying and assessing the capabilities and activities of cybercriminals or foreign intelligence entities. They produce findings to support law enforcement and counterintelligence investigations. This aligns with my future goal of becoming an Ethical Hacker, as it helps me better understand and respond to threats.

Another role I found intriguing is “Cyber Operational Planning” under the “Collect and Operate” category. This role is primarily responsible for gathering information and developing strategic operational plans and orders to support various requirements across a wide range of operations.

However, I was less interested in the role related to software development. According to the website, this role involves developing and writing new computer applications or modifying existing ones, following software assurance best practices. It requires a strong understanding of complex mathematical concepts like discrete math, which I’m not particularly interested in.