The National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) framework is a blueprint that classifies, explains, and manages cybersecurity work. The framework uses a building block approach that allows companies and agencies to speak a common language regarding cybersecurity roles.
The NICE program has three main goals. First, it seeks to accelerate cybersecurity skills and learning in private and public sectors. Second, it aims to encourage the learning community by focusing on education, measuring outcomes, and expanding the cybersecurity workforce. And lastly, it strives to guide career development and workforce development through support for employers in meeting the market demands of recruiting, hiring, and retaining cybersecurity talent.
As the demand for qualified cybersecurity professionals continues to grow, and the pool of those professionals remains insufficient, the importance of identifying, recruiting, developing, and retaining employees is huge. Organizations that use NICE's Workforce Framework for Cybersecurity have the upper hand in creating successful cybersecurity teams and programs.
What is the NICE Operate and Maintain Category?
The NICE Framework consists of seven categories, 33 specialty areas, and 52 specific work roles. Operate and Maintain is one of the categories, and it focuses on supporting, maintaining, and administering the use of IT systems effectively and efficiently. Within this category are six specialty areas: Data Administration, Knowledge Management, Customer Service and Technical Support, Network Services, Systems Administration, and Systems Analysis. In addition, each specialty area contains cybersecurity work roles comprising specific knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA) required to perform the tasks associated with each role.
Which IT Certifications Meet the Operate and Maintain Work Roles Criteria?
Obtaining the specific knowledge, skills, and abilities required for NICE Framework work roles often means earning IT certifications. IT certifications demonstrate that a candidate is proficient in specific areas of knowledge. Becoming certified requires professionals to pass comprehensive exams on the associated subject matter, making it easy for hiring managers and recruiters to understand potential employees' skill sets at-a-glance.
In the Operate and Maintain category, within its six specialty areas, certain certifications cover the KSAs needed to fill the associated work roles. The following shows which certifications align with each specialty area:
Data Administration – In order to become proficient in this area, which involves the security of database management systems, the following certifications are helpful:
- CompTIA Data+
- ECIH - Certified Incident Handler Certification
- CCISO - Certified Chief Information Security Officer Certification
- SSCP - Systems Security Certified Practitioner Certification
- Microsoft Power BI Data Analyst Certification
Knowledge Management – The following certifications will help prepare cybersecurity professionals to manage and administer processes and tools allowing an organization to catalog, document, and access intellectual capital:
- CompTIA A+ Certification
- CompTIA Network+ Certification
- PMP - Project Management Professional Certification
- CAPM - Certified Associate in Project Management
- AWS Technical Essentials Certification
Customer Service and Technical Support – This category focuses on educating and helping customers who have technical issues related to (but not limited to) installations, configurations, and troubleshooting. The certifications that align with these tasks are:
- CompTIA A+ Certification
- CompTIA Network+ Certification
- CompTIA Cloud+ Certification
Network Services – Work roles for this category involve installing, configuring, operating, testing, maintaining, and managing firewalls and networks, including hardware and software. The following certifications will help prepare professionals for those work roles:
- CompTIA A+ Certification
- CompTIA Network+ Certification
- CompTIA Cloud+ Certification
- CCNA Certification
- CCNP ENARSI - Cisco Certified Network Professional Certification
- CCNP ENCOR - Cisco Certified Network Professional Certification
- CCNP Enterprise (ENCOR + ENARSI)
- CCSE - Certified Cloud Security Engineer Certification
- CCSP - Certified Cloud Security Professional Certification
- F5 Networks - Configuring BIG-IP APM (Part of the F5 Certification track)
Systems Administration – This category involves installing, configuring, maintaining, and troubleshooting server configurations to safeguard the availability, integrity, and confidentiality of hardware and software. This may include managing accounts, accessibility controls, firewalls, patches, passwords, and account creation. The certifications that align with this category are:
- CompTIA Security+ Certification
- CompTIA Linux+ Certification
- CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner (CASP+)
- CND - Certified Network Defender
- CEH - Certified Ethical Hacker Certification
- CHFI-Computer Hacking Forensic Investigator Certification
- ECIH - Certified Incident Handler Training
- CCISO-Certified Chief Information Security Officer Certification
- CISSP-Certified Information Systems Security Professional Certification
- SSCP - Systems Security Certified Practitioner Certification
- Architecting On AWS
- Advanced Architecting On AWS
- Developing On AWS
- Microsoft Azure Administrator Certification
- Microsoft Azure Fundamentals Certification
Systems Analysis – Work roles related to this specialty area study the organization's systems and procedures and design information systems solutions to operate more securely, efficiently, and effectively by bringing IT and business goals together. The relevant certifications for Systems Analysis are:
- CompTIA A+ Certification
- CompTIA Network+ Certification
- CompTIA Security+ Certification
- CompTIA Linux+ Certification
- CompTIA Cloud+ Certification
- CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner (CASP+)
- CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ Certification
- CND-Certified Network Defender
- CEH - Certified Ethical Hacker Certification
- CHFI-Computer Hacking Forensic Investigator Certification
- ECIH - Certified Incident Handler
- CCISO-Certified Chief Information Security Officer Certification
- CISSP-Certified Information Systems Security Professional Certification
- SSCP - Systems Security Certified Practitioner Certification
- RMF-CAP Certification
In addition to IT certifications, there are some universal skills that round out the Operate and Maintain category. For example, Microsoft Access, Excel, Project, and SharePoint proficiency are assumed for the work roles, as well as a good understanding of Windows OS.
Earn NICE-Aligned Certifications with TrainACE's Help
The future cybersecurity workforce must be one that is agile, able to respond to ever-changing technologies, and to anticipate and take action to mitigate risks to contribute to organizations' goals. It is essential that up-and-coming cybersecurity professionals, as well as those currently in the industry, have the knowledge, skills, and abilities to protect the organizations they work for. The NICE Framework can help resolve companies' challenges in building and retaining cybersecurity teams. Understanding the categories, specialty areas, and work roles is crucial, and knowing which cybersecurity certifications fulfill the desired skill sets makes hiring and training strategies easier.
At TrainACE, we offer dozens of training courses to help prepare students for official exams for certifications that are aligned with the NICE Framework. Let us get you or your team into the right courses today. Contact TrainACE for more information.
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