The supply of cybersecurity professionals has fallen far short of demand, with some studies estimating the gap being as large as 600,000+ professionals needed to meet the nation’s demand. The NSA hopes to turn this around.
In addition, cybersecurity is rarely taught in schools even within computer science classes. The NSA hopes to help change that by spurring best practices in cybersecurity pedagogy across content areas and development of curricula and lesson plans that can be used to infuse cybersecurity principles across many subject areas.
Cybersecurity is vital to the future of the United States, not just at the government level, but also at the industrial, economic, academic, and personal levels as well. It is critical that young students have a basic understanding of cybersecurity so that as they learn through their schooling and personal experiences, they can see how cybersecurity impacts all aspects of their lives, be it through social media, economic situations, or physical devices.
Our country is entering an era where it is likely that numerous household items, personal computing devices, and business systems will be connected to the Internet of Things. In this rapidly evolving technology environment, everyone needs to be cognizant of cybersecurity. Whether you are an NSA analyst, an accountant, an electrician, or a stay-at-home mom or dad, these devices will become increasingly important in our lives. We need both broad awareness of cybersecurity in the general population and experts in the field who can identify and mitigate vulnerabilities.