Siemens Energy, SANS Institute, others align on industrial cybersecurity education

cybersecurity education

Siemens Energy, the SANS Institute (SANS), and a group of non-profit and academic organizations announced on Tuesday that the agencies will work towards delivering industrial cybersecurity education to the next generation of cyber defenders. The move will help fill critical skills gaps that have proven to be ​​a challenge for both industrial and manufacturing organizations, as the needs of the operational technology (OT) sector are unique.  

The stakeholders announced the launch of a consortium that will establish a new industrial cybersecurity apprenticeship program to defend critical infrastructure. The consortium draws from organizations across the country and is designed to scale to meet the growing need for highly skilled industrial cybersecurity professionals as digitally connected infrastructure, such as energy assets, wastewater treatment facilities, and transportation systems increasingly serve as the foundation for the U.S. economy and well-paying jobs. 

According to CyberSeek, a project supported by the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE), the U.S. cybersecurity workforce has only enough workers to fill about 68 percent of the current demand, with industrial sectors experiencing the workforce gap more acutely. In a recent survey by SANS, 56 percent of companies reported experiencing difficulties implementing existing critical infrastructure security plans due to insufficient labor resources. 

The memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed between the founding organizations strengthens the education-to-workforce pipeline between industry, academic, and non-profit organizations to prepare the next generation of cyber defenders that need to protect the digitally-connected energy systems and critical infrastructure assets from the increasing threat of cyber threats. 

The four-year program will enable apprentices to apply their technical industrial cybersecurity education with moderate computer skills, and gain the hands-on experience and knowledge needed to fill existing cybersecurity vacancies that currently pay above US$90,000 per year. The apprenticeship program is expected to accept its first cohort in fall 2022.

The MOU lays the foundation work for the team that will design and coordinate the apprenticeship program, as the agencies work towards improving the quality of industrial cybersecurity education. In the coming months, the consortium will select the companies that will participate in hands-on rotations, and the standards expected from those companies. The consortium plans to announce new private sector, academic, and non-profit consortium members looking to participate in the apprenticeship program ahead of its first cohort class.

The Cybersecurity & Industrial Infrastructure Security Apprenticeship Program (CIISAp) was launched with founding members, including Siemens Energy, ICS Village, Regional Economic Development for Eastern Idaho (REDI), MISI Academy, Capitol Technology University, SANS Institute, and Idaho State University (ISU), who will collectively design and run an apprenticeship program that links academic classes and educational training with real-world job rotations at various industrial companies. The modernized approach to learning will create a sustainable, future-ready workforce in an area of growing need.

The CIISAp apprenticeship program will help meet a growing need for cybersecurity professionals with cross-cutting skills that incorporate the training of a mechanical engineer, an electrical engineer, and a cybersecurity expert.

Capitol Technology University, based in Washington DC, and MISI Academy, based in Baltimore, will lead the apprenticeship’s Eastern US region, while REDI and ISU will lead the Western US. Nationwide partners. SANS, GIAC, and ICS Village will provide additional specialized experiential training options and offer certification pathways to apprentices in both regions. 

Siemens Energy has been pitched to be the initial employer participating in the apprenticeship program and will offer its ‘deep knowledge of operating equipment and cybersecurity best practices to the hands-on learning experience.’

The current cybersecurity workforce gap comes as threats against critical infrastructure systems continue to escalate with attacks threatening the energy sector and municipal services in the U.S. this year. Cybersecurity for critical infrastructure differs from cybersecurity for information technologies. Securing critical infrastructure requires defenders to recognize anomalies that could be a sign of a cyberattack in both physical and digital technologies. Currently, there are fewer than ten colleges that have classes covering cybersecurity for operational technologies.

“We continue to see an increase in threats and breaches while the demand for cybersecurity professionals grows exponentially, so we are proud to be a part of the solution with Siemens Energy to train and certify cybersecurity professionals,” Steve Peterson, managing director of the SANS Institute, said in a press statement. “This industrial cybersecurity apprenticeship directly addresses the need for new cyber talent with the specific skills to protect critical infrastructure.”

“There is a serious shortage of cybersecurity talent in today’s marketplace across a number of industries, and by working in partnership with like-minded organizations we can make inroads into building a strong workforce for the years to come,” said Rich Voorberg, president of Siemens Energy North America. “Critical infrastructure in the U.S. has digitized rapidly, and we need to move quickly to secure our future.”

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) also turned its attention towards improving federal cybersecurity talent, working more aggressively to recruit, develop, and retain top cybersecurity professionals. 

Last week, industrial cybersecurity vendor Dragos announced its Dragos Academy, a comprehensive educational and training program available to its customers and partners. The Dragos Academy helps close the OT skills gap and lessen the burden of talent shortage by raising the level of cybersecurity expertise across the ICS/OT community through a curriculum that is continuously developed and updated by cybersecurity practitioners. 

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