CoG Focus Area 3 - Cybersecurity Skill Sets and Training Standards for SLTT

Sep 4, 2026

Cybersecurity workforce development for State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial (SLTT) organizations is addressed through a three-part mission. The document identifies core cybersecurity skill sets, maps professional standards and job descriptions to those skills for consistent SLTT adoption, and determines training and educational programs to build capability. It also explains staffing challenges, including competition and retention losses to the private sector, and provides advocated SLTT positions with supporting institutions.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages33

Reading Time1 h 23 min

AccessFree to download

Mission and Scope

Mission 1: Identify Core Skill Sets

Key Positions in Cybersecurity Fields

Defensive Cyber Operations Elements (DCOE)

Cyber Protection Teams (CPT)

Mission 2: Standardize Professional Standards and Job Descriptions

MISSION: The mission is three-fold: 1) Identify key skill sets within cybersecurity fields that are fundamental to providing an enhanced cyber posture at the State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial (SLTT) level; 2) Find and evaluate professional standards and job descriptions that match identified key skill sets to standardize across SLTT entities; 3) Identify training and educational programs for these key areas. SYNOPSIS: It is difficult to train and retain qualified cybersecurity professionals at the SLTT level. This is partially due to fierce competition for these jobs. It is estimated that in the United States, there is a need for 500,000 cybersecurity professionals in the workforce. Socializing a standardized list of training opportunities will help to identify skill sets and train individuals within these positions. Due to a shortage of cyber professionals, organizations providing higher salaries and incentives often get the most qualified individuals. Once an individual is trained and certified, SLTT’s often lose their home grown talent to the higher paying private sector. In previous years, the Council agreed to work with the States to establish cybersecurity professional standards. This includes identifying SLTT cyber resources that are available within each State. This is a continuation of that effort. Without established training standards there is room for ambiguity about the skill sets needed by SLTT’s for improved cybersecurity posture. Included is a list of positions we advocate SLTT’s to adopt, along with the educational institutions that offer training to support them. AUTHORS: This is a joint project created by the Wyoming Military Department, States of Wyoming and Louisiana, with support from the Governors Homeland Security Offices, National Emergency Management Association (NEMA), Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA), National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO), National Conference of State Legislature (NCSL) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) . SOURCES: 1. National Initiative for Cybersecurity Careers and Studies (NICCS); “Cyber Career Pathways Tool” 2. National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) 3. NSA National Centers of Academic Excellence ([nsa.gov](nsa.gov)) 4. DHS Cyber Talent Management System: DHS Cybersecurity Service | Homeland Security 5. Cyber Seek; “Career Pathway” 6. DoD Cyber Exchange Public; “Baseline Certifications” 7. NIST Special Publication 800-181 Rev 1 8. SANS 9. GIAC 10. ISACA 11. ISC2 12. CompTIA 13. DoD 8570.1m Mission 1: Identify key skill sets within cybersecurity fields that are fundamental to providing an enhanced cyber posture atthe State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial (SLTT) level Key Positions in Cybersecurity Fields | JOB TITLE(s) DESCRIPTION | | | --- | --- | | IT Support, Help Desk, Service Branch | Help desk or services branch employees are typically the first line of defense and notification of cybersecurity incidents. A well trained and proficient help desk is critical to cyber response | | Network Administrator | Network administration provides base level cybersecurity functions such as firewalls, port security, and hardware authentication | | System Administrator | System administration provides base level cybersecurity functions such as user authentication, patching, and system level permissions | | Application Developer | Not all organizations develop their own applications, but if they do trained and certified developers are essential in order to not program in vulnerabilities to the environment | | Information Security Administrator | Coordination of cybersecurity efforts, subject matter expert, and incident response manager | Defensive Cyber Operations Elements are Army National Guard resources available to all 54 States, territories, and the District of Columbia. DCOE’s provide uniquely trained incident respon

FAQs

What are the three components of the document’s mission?

Identify core cybersecurity skill sets for enhanced SLTT cyber posture; find and evaluate professional standards and job descriptions that match those skills to standardize across SLTT entities; identify training and educational programs for these areas.

Why is it difficult to train and retain cybersecurity professionals at the SLTT level?

It is difficult due to fierce competition for these jobs, leading to shortages and talent loss from SLTT organizations to higher-paying private-sector roles after certification.

What cybersecurity positions does the document advocate for SLTT organizations?

It advocates key roles such as Help Desk/Service Branch, Network Administrator, System Administrator, Application Developer, and Information Security Administrator, including their defensive responsibilities and incident-response relevance.

Sep 4, 2026

Uploaded by Ava Thompson