Introduction：
1、8 CIA Cybersecurity Jobs and What You Need to Get Started
2、Government Agencies That Employ Cyber Security Professionals
8 CIA Cybersecurity Jobs and What You Need to Get Started ♂
The CIA, or Central Intelligence Agency, is a US government agency with a strong focus on understanding the cybersecurity landscape and building a robust cybersecurity workforce. Founded in 1947, the CIA delivers timely and unbiased intelligence on foreign nations and global matters to the President and the National Security Council (NSC), among other policymakers. Following the President❼orders and adhering to applicable laws, the CIA is also authorized to operate covertly and work alongside private industries to research the threat landscape and shore up the nation’s defense against threats of all kinds, including cyberattacks.
Discover how you can build a cybersecurity career working alongside the CIA. Continue reading to delve into the specifics of eight unique CIA cybersecurity roles, their eligibility criteria, work duties, compensation, and more.
Before you prepare for an interview, make sure you meet the agency’s minimum requirements. To qualify for any position at the CIA, you must meet the following basic guidelines [1]:
Be physically located in the US or a US territory when submitting your resume via MyLINK
Possess US citizenship
Be age 18 or older
Be open to relocating to the Washington, DC area.
Successfully undergo security and medical evaluations, including allowing the CIA to interview friends, family, colleagues, and others as part of a thorough investigation into your background and submitting to physical and psychological examination.
Register for the Selective Service system, which provides personnel to the US Department of Defense during times of national emergencies.
Note: Registration with the Selective Service is mandatory for male citizens and immigrants at age 18 [2].
Apart from meeting the standard eligibility criteria, a GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4-point scale makes you well-suited for the following CIA cybersecurity positions:
In your role as a cybersecurity officer, you will help safeguard CIA data and systems. Specifically, you❵ track and mitigate IT risks through security tools and CIA information technology (IT) expertise. Additionally, you may perform audit and security compliance checks, lead forensic analysis, assess security documentation, and more.
Base salary: $73,617–$163,252 [3]
Must-have qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in computer engineering, computer science, cybersecurity, information security, or a related engineering field, or equivalent work experience
As a cyber operations officer with the CIA, you will extract intelligence from the networks and systems of adversaries to deter future attacks and defend against them. This includes employing sophisticated techniques and advanced tools tailored for cyber operations. Solid skills in computer hardware, software, and networks are essential.
Base salary: $69,287–$172,075 [4]
Must-have qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in a science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) field or equivalent work experience
The CIA cyber threat analyst role requires you to identify and hinder threats from foreign cyber actors against national information systems and infrastructure. Furthermore, you may develop written assessments and deliver briefings to US policymakers and other stakeholders in the US defense community.
Base salary: $62,733–$183,500 [5]
Must-have qualifications: A bachelor’s or master’s degree in international relations, foreign affairs, cybersecurity, computer science, computer engineering, digital forensics, telecommunications, or information assurance
As a CIA cybersecurity researcher, you❵ work toward designing, building, and deploying tools for cyber operations and intelligence. Drawing on your computer and network security skills, you may develop novel solutions to address evolving and emerging threats.
Base salary: $69,287–$122,459 [6]
Must-have qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in computer engineering, computer science, electrical engineering, software engineering, or a related field, or five years of professional experience in offensive security or system-level software development. Plus, up to three years of experience with a system programming language.
As an attorney within the CIA, your primary role revolves around delivering expert legal advice and offering the agency❼leadership policy counsel. It may entail delving into intricate areas of law that directly impact the CIA❼duties, governed by the National Security Act, the CIA Act, and Executive Orders.
Base salary: $78,592–$183,500 [7]
Must-have qualifications: Juris Doctor (JD) degree from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association (ABR), active bar membership from any of the 50 states, at least three years of experience within the US government or in private practice, demonstrated experience in providing legal counsel and handling situations with multiple variables and unknowns.
As a CIA cyber targeter, you’ll use up-to-date cyber tools, data sets, and methodologies to assess data or information from all origins. Advancing the CIA’s cyber mission priorities, you may also help pinpoint individuals, computer networks, and cyber vulnerabilities that pose potential risks to national security.
Base salary: $69,287–$122,459 [8]
Must-have qualifications: Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution in a STEM field or at least five years of professional experience in areas like digital forensics, cybersecurity, internet technology, information science, network security and engineering, social network analysis, or data analytics.
As a data analysis officer, your main responsibility involves comprehensively examining intelligence and operational items sourced from technical collections and data sets. Additionally, you❵ identify and prioritize intelligence gaps, aiding the swift and accurate exploitation of large data sets.
Base salary: $69,287–$145,617 [9]
Must-have qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in computer science, computer engineering, digital/computer/network forensics, applied mathematics, telecommunications, information security and assurance, or data analysis or analytics.
As a digital forensics engineer, your duties may include reviewing data from a progressive cyberattack, offering timely threat mitigation insights to policymakers, examining new file formats and storage devices, writing scripts and code to assist the development of information recovery systems, and more.
Base salary: $69,287–$122,459 [10]
Must-have qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, computer engineering, computer science, applied mathematics, or a related field
The hiring process can be lengthy, particularly since the agency prioritizes the safety of its employees. To that end, the CIA urges job applicants to exercise discretion when sharing their interest in CIA employment. The agency strongly recommends refraining from mentioning the submission of a resume or receiving an invitation to apply for employment with the CIA on social media [11].
Whether you want to apply for CIA cybersecurity jobs or build a career in the private sector, developing a robust skill set is essential. Strengthen your cybersecurity skills with the Cybersecurity for Everyone course from the University of Maryland, College Park, on Coursera. This course can help you build a strong foundation with vital knowledge, including the ramifications of a cyberattack. You may also opt to earn a shareable credential with the Google Cybersecurity Professional Certificate, designed to help you develop the skills required for an entry-level cybersecurity job.
Government Agencies That Employ Cyber Security Professionals ♂
Many government agencies rely on cybersecurity professionals to keep sensitive information protected. Earning a Master of Science in Cybersecurity degree will arm you with the knowledge and skills that these government agencies desire in applicants.
Whether it is the Department of Defense (DOD), Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), National Security Agency (NSA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) or another agency, there is a strong demand for technical skills, especially cyber security experts that preserve the integrity of critical information.
Each of these agencies is constantly seeking cybersecurity specialists to add to their staff. With a degree in cybersecurity, you just might find yourself employed for a government agency on the local, state or federal level.
The Department of Defense is one of the top employers for cyber security professionals. They intend to build a team of 6,200 cyber professionals by the end of 2015. The agency relies on high-tech security specialists, including many recent college graduates, to keep its internal information network (DoDIN) safe, lend support to combatant commanders performing missions across the globe, and bolster the country’s ability to survive cyber attacks. Different agencies, such as the NSA, fall under Department of Defense. For this reason, the locations of employment may vary due to the role and responsibilities of the desired position.
These are the main goals of what is known as U.S. Cyber Command “USCYBERCOM”, a sub-unified command with the support of U.S. Strategic Command. USCYBERCOM designs the entire cyber security strategy, as well as the training standards and requirements for each of the armed forces.
The CIA has vowed to increase their cybersecurity force in order to combat threats in the cyber-arena from various countries and terrorist organizations. The agency heads the government’s intelligence gathering operations. Its Information Operations Center (IOC) is especially focused on activity that occurs on the internet. The RAND report states the CIA is most interested in applicants who have a master’s degree in a cyber-oriented field.
The CIA looks for qualified applicants at college job fairs, hacker conventions and from within its current ranks. They have increased efforts to maintain security through cyber professionals and plan to increase cyber security employment for years to come as new threats continue to evolve. While the exact requirements and locations of these cybersecurity positions is often classified, applicants should expect to relocate to Washington D.C. and surrounding areas to be considered for the position.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has grown extensively in response to the tragedy of 9/11. The agency employs more than 240,000 Americans, some of which function in a cyber security capacity. If you snag a position with the DHS, you will help secure our nation from threats including terrorist attacks, natural disasters and accidents.
You might be surprised at just how many agencies fall under the umbrella of the DHS. They include the Secret Service, U.S. Coast Guard, TSA and more. The typical DHS cyber security specialist is charged with tremendous responsibility. These individuals work to protect infrastructures controlled by networks. Whether it is the electric grid, our water system or any other system relied upon by the masses, the DHS is usually responsible for its protection.
DHS cyber security professionals also investigate network breaches and various cyber crimes. If you are particularly interested or skilled in digital forensics, cyber incident response, strategic analysis or networks and systems engineering, you will fit right in at the DHS.
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) is headquartered in Washington D.C. and has 11 offices throughout the United States. The cyber careers segment of its website is constantly advertising new positions. The GAO reports to congress yet it is a completely independent and non-partisan agency. Its role is to investigate federal expenditures, unacceptable activities and other issues related to government ethics.
The agency has made a large effort to hire not only security auditors, but cyber security professionals in an attempt to secure the nation against cyberterrorists and hacker groups. If you are skilled or interested in analyzing networks to generate information pertaining to security weaknesses, the GAO might be a great career opportunity for you.
The National Security Agency (NSA) employs between 30,000 and 40,000 people. The NSA is always on the hunt for new cyber security talent, as digital communications and activity are central to its role. The agency monitors an incredible amount of information, much of which is transmitted in a digital manner. The goal is to prevent this sensitive or classified information from being used in nefarious ways.
The NSA’s cyber security professionals implement electronic defense tactics to protect government systems against attacks and even uses offensive tactics such as subversive software. The NSA is the United States’ leading employer of cybersecurity personnel. Offices are typically located around Fort Meade in Maryland. For those interested in securing a position as a cyber professional for the NSA, relocating to the areas of Baltimore, Washington D.C., or nearby Fort Meade is often required.
While the FBI only employs about 35,000 people, their cybersecurity personnel is constantly growing. In addition to positions in the main FBI headquarters, the bureau has employed “cybersquads” in their 56 offices nationwide. These teams travel internationally with the 93 cybercrime task forces that are trained to work alongside the federal, state, and local agencies. Work for the FBI and you will help investigate federal crimes, guard the country from threats and assist the U.S. counter-intelligence and counter-terrorism agencies. The agency also has a Criminal, Cyber, Response and Services Branch (CCRSB) to handle cyber crimes and other illicit activities.
FBI recruiters are primarily looking for cybersecurity experts who have at least a bachelor’s degree. In fact, during a 2014 cyber conference, the FBI’s Supervisory Special Agent Charles Gilgen stated that the agency’s cyber division intended to hire 6,000 analysts and “cyberwarriors” by 2016.
Many of the national security conflicts of the future will be digital in nature. Cyber terrorists, as well as hackers of all sorts, are turning to the internet to wreak havoc. As a result, government branches like the NSA and CIA are always on the lookout for elite cyber security professionals who can help prevent them from breaking into databases to steal secrets, identities, or other sensitive information.
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