August 2, 2017 

To: National Institute of Standards and Technology 

RE: Response to Request for Information, “Strengthening the 

Cybersecurity of Federal Networks and Critical Infrastructure: 

Workforce Development” 

Via e-mail to: cybersecurityworkforce@nist.gov 

Palo Alto Networks appreciates the opportunity to respond to the National Institute of 

Standards and Technology’s (NIST) Request for Information, “Strengthening the 

Cybersecurity of Federal Networks and Critical Infrastructure: Workforce Development.” 

We commend NIST’s efforts to solicit input from a broad range of cybersecurity 

stakeholders on the crucial task of supporting the growth and sustainment of the Nation's 

cybersecurity workforce in both the public and private sectors. The challenge is acute. 

According to the latest Cybersecurity Jobs Report by Cybersecurity Ventures, the 

worldwide deficit of qualified cybersecurity professionals will reach 3.5 million by 2021. 

A deficit of this magnitude can inhibit the industry's ability to prevent cyber incidents, 

and the challenge is compounded by the growing frequency and sophistication of 

cyberattacks. Getting ahead of tomorrow's threats requires a larger, diverse and 

innovative team of cybersecurity professionals. 

At Palo Alto Networks, we have approached this challenge by creating scalable programs 

that address structural issues in three areas: 1) cybersecurity education; 2) training; and 3) 

workforce development. 

Education: Eliminating Traditional Barriers to Access to Cybersecurity Education 

In June, Palo Alto Networks announced a collaboration with the Girl Scouts of the USA 

(GSUSA) to deliver the first-ever national Girl Scouts cybersecurity badges. Working 

with a panel of expert cybersecurity advisors, GSUSA and Palo Alto Networks are 

developing a series of 18 cybersecurity badges which we expect to begin rolling out in 

September 2018. Our goal is to provide cybersecurity education to over a million girls 

throughout the United States while helping them to develop their problem-solving and 

leadership skills. 

We believe this collaboration will go a long way toward eliminating traditional barriers to 

access to cybersecurity education, like gender and geography, and will cultivate an early 

interest in cybersecurity by girls ages K-12. In addition to providing widened access to 

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cybersecurity skills development, this collaboration will provide online safety education 

and activities to deepen interest in cybersecurity as a career. 

Building interest in STEM at a young age is crucial. According to the Computing 

Technology Industry Association (CompTIA), 69 percent of women who do not have a 

career in information technology cited not knowing what opportunities were available to 

them as reasons they did not pursue one. With this collaboration, Palo Alto Networks and 

GSUSA plan to introduce cybersecurity education to millions of girls across the United 

States through programming designed to increase their interest and instill in them a 

valuable 21st Century skillset. This national effort will target girls as young as five years 

old, helping to ensure that even the youngest girls have a foundation primed for future 

life and career success. 

Training: Hands-On Experience for Students, and Integrating Cybersecurity into the 

Boardroom for the C-Suite 

Cybersecurity training must also be given high priority as the sophistication, complexity 

and sheer volume of successful cyberattacks increases and threatens our digital way of 

life. Large-scale programs, accessible to students, are vital to developing a pipeline of 

well-trained and qualified cybersecurity professionals. To advance this goal, Palo Alto 

Networks dedicates significant resources to helping colleges and universities address the 

critical shortage of cybersecurity professionals. The Palo Alto Networks Academy 

creates partnerships with qualified colleges, universities, and technical institutes to 

provide next-generation security technology, courseware, certification, and training labs 

incorporated into academic cybersecurity curricula. The Academy’s goal is to make 

teaching state-of-the-art cybersecurity technology as easy as possible for instructors while 

providing a hands-on learning experience for students, resulting in a core curriculum of 

relevant, immediately-useable knowledge and skills based on practical experience for 

success in the cybersecurity industry. The Academy program is currently active with 

more than 200 partner universities and colleges in more than 26 countries. 

Cybersecurity training should not, however, be limited solely to a company’s 

cybersecurity professionals. C-Suite leaders must also have the knowledge base, skills 

and tools needed to mitigate the cyber risks inherent in our digital age. To that end, Palo 

Alto Networks in conjunction with NYSE developed a book series to bring cybersecurity 

awareness to business leaders: “Navigating the Digital Age: The Definitive Cybersecurity 

Guide for Directors and Officers.” These books collect the expertise and experience of 

CEOs, CISOs, lawyers, forensic experts, consultants, academia, and current and former 

government officials to address current cybersecurity issues that businesses must 

consider, such as how to manage strategic cybersecurity initiatives at the boardroom 

level, compliance and breach avoidance, and prevention and response. The goal is to 

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ensure leaders see cybersecurity and risk management as an extension of, rather than a 

barrier to, their business operations and growth. 

Workforce Development: Extending Educational Opportunities to Bring Veterans into the 

Cybersecurity Industry 

Another element of building the cybersecurity workforce of the future entails extending 

our educational reach beyond students and those professionals who already have a strong 

cybersecurity background. To advance this goal, Palo Alto Networks has collaborated 

with VetsInTech to bring more veterans into technology and cybersecurity roles. 

Veterans are valuable assets in our industry, because their service gives them skills that 

make them uniquely qualified for careers in cybersecurity. Yet one of the biggest 

challenges many veterans face is a lack of confidence in their skills relative to private 

industry needs, particularly for high technology. They often overlook their intangible 

skills like dedication, initiative, self-motivation, communication and leadership reporting. 

In fact, many veterans find they already have cybersecurity-related training, such as 

intelligence gathering from electronic, signal, human and imagery sources, or even threat 

analysis and tracking. Thus an important component of our work with veterans – in 

addition to a core cybersecurity training curriculum – includes insights on life after the 

military, how to translate military skills into civilian cyber skills, best practices for 

applying for jobs in Silicon Valley, and resources to help move closer to careers in 

cybersecurity. 

Conclusion 

Building an effective cybersecurity workforce requires addressing structural issues in 

education, training, and workforce development: eliminating traditional barriers to access 

to cybersecurity education; integrating cybersecurity training into college curricula and 

into the boardroom; and expanding training opportunities to bring those with translatable 

skill sets into the cybersecurity industry. Should the Commission require any additional 

information about the programs discussed within this response, we would be happy to set 

up further discussions. Any questions may be directed to Coleman Mehta, Senior 

Director, U.S. Policy (cmehta@paloaltonetworks.com). Thank you for the opportunity to 

comment. 

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