NICE

It’s NICE Cybersecurity Career Week at NIST! In honor of Cybersecurity Career Week, we are highlighting Julie Haney. Julie is a computer scientist who leads the Human-Centered Cybersecurity Program of the Visualization and Usability Group within the Information Technology Laboratory at NIST. Q: What is a high-level overview of the work you do at NIST? In the Human-Centered Cybersecurity Program, we champion the human in cybersecurity. We want people to be at the forefront when designing and implementing cybersecurity products, processes, policies, and services. Towards that end, I conduct applied research and other projects about the human, social, and organizational factors in cybersecurity. These factors include the usability of cybersecurity processes and technologies, organizational security culture, and people’s perceptions, attitudes, behaviors, challenges, and decision-making processes in relation to cybersecurity. Q: What is your favorite aspect about working at NIST? The work is fascinating! I’ve been able to leverage my prior background as a cybersecurity practitioner and apply it in a new way to improve people’s cybersecurity experiences. I’m also able to make a positive impact by getting our research findings into the hands of people who can actually use them, such as cybersecurity practitioners, developers, policymakers, and decision-makers. NIST’s long-standing stellar reputation and relationships across the cybersecurity community really facilitate that sharing. Q: What is a project that has given you the opportunity to grow at NIST? A few years ago, I had the opportunity to bring the human-centered cybersecurity perspective to a NIST team working on a presidential Executive Order. In a tight timeframe, we were tasked with developing criteria on cybersecurity labels for consumer smart products and software. The idea was that the labels would help consumers learn about the security of products and make informed purchase decisions. Never having done anything like that before, it was a master class on how NIST rises to the occasion and engages and values the perspectives of different stakeholders and experts from government, academia, industry, and consumer advocacy groups. I was able to apply both my and others’ research to the effort while also learning about what was actually feasible and acceptable to stakeholders. It really hit home that, as a researcher, you must consider how actionable your research results and recommendations are in practice. The project also provided me the opportunity to meet and learn from other great folks in and outside of NIST. Learn more about Cybersecurity Career Week: https://lnkd.in/gnGW6mra and check out the latest NIST job openings: nist.gov/careers. #NISTCareers #Cybersecurity #ChooseCyber #ServiceforAmerica

It’s NICE Cybersecurity Career Week at NIST! In honor of Cybersecurity Career Week, we are highlighting Dr. Lily Chen. Lily is a mathematician and NIST fellow who has been with NIST for 19 years. Q: What is a high-level overview of the work you do at NIST? Before I was selected as a NIST fellow in 2023, I served as the group manager for the Cryptographic Technology Group since 2012. I have led the development of cryptographic standards and conducted research on cryptography and its applications in cybersecurity. Q: What is your favorite aspect about working at NIST? NIST cryptographic standards have been implemented in almost every digital device. The development process gave me a great opportunity to work with academia on state-of-the-art cryptography and with industry on different applications. Q: What has been your proudest accomplishment at NIST? My proudest accomplishment at NIST is growing NIST expertise in cryptography and building a strong team to lead the development of post-quantum cryptography standards with worldwide researchers and practitioners. Q: What’s the most important thing you’ve learned while working at NIST? The most important thing I’ve learned while working at NIST is the experience of collaborating with people from different backgrounds, internally and externally. As a result, I have gained knowledge and enhanced my communication skills. Learn more about Cybersecurity Career Week: https://lnkd.in/gnGW6mra and check out the latest NIST job openings: nist.gov/careers. #NISTCareers #Cybersecurity #ChooseCyber #ServiceforAmerica

It’s NICE Cybersecurity Career Week at NIST! In honor of Cybersecurity Career Week, we are highlighting Karen Wetzel. Karen serves as the Lead of the NICE Workforce Framework for Cybersecurity in the NICE Program at NIST. Q: What is a high-level overview of the work you do at NIST? I set strategy for and lead efforts around the development, improvement, and application of the NICE Workforce Framework for Cybersecurity (NICE Framework) in support of an integrated ecosystem of cybersecurity education, training, and workforce development. Q: What is your favorite aspect about working at NIST? I think it’s really exciting to be at the cutting edge of research at NIST. Knowing that the work that happens at NIST helps lead the way and provides leadership and guidance is amazing. Not only that, but the people who are doing this work are so open and collegial. I rely on work that is happening across NIST in cybersecurity to inform and be integrated into the NICE Framework, and it’s great that NIST colleagues are so willing to extend their efforts by working with us to support cybersecurity workforce development. Q: What is a project that has given you the opportunity to grow at NIST? We were able to contribute significantly to the 2023 National Cyber Workforce and Education Strategy produced by the Office of the National Cyber Director (ONCD), and since that time I have participated in the ONCD Federal Cyber Workforce Working Group to pursue some of the objectives outlined in that strategy. Although NICE had already been convening the Interagency Coordinating Council, this group has provided me with an additional avenue for interagency engagement and coordination that has given me further insights into federal cybersecurity workforce efforts and a way to engage with those and share more about the usefulness of the NICE Framework. It’s been a great experience. Q: What advice would you give someone who is considering NIST for their career? Do it! This is my first federal job – and I wish I had realized earlier how fabulous working for the federal government, and particularly for NIST, was. The amount of support, opportunities for growth, and constant challenges (in a good way!) are amazing. I think at NIST we are particularly lucky because we both engage across the federal government and also work with education, nonprofits, private industry, and internationally. And we are doing this in service of others with the goal of improving our nation – you can’t get better than that. If you want to work with some of the smartest, most dedicated, and supportive people, then you should look at NIST. And if you have any questions about it, just reach out to me! Learn more about Cybersecurity Career Week: https://lnkd.in/gnGW6mra and check out the latest NIST job openings: nist.gov/careers. #NISTCareers #Cybersecurity #ChooseCyber #ServiceforAmerica