NIST Allocates $3.6M to Boost Cybersecurity Workforce Amid Rising Cyber Threats
Summary:
The U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has allocated nearly $3.6 million in cooperative contracts to form a cyberdefense workforce. The move is part of efforts to protect businesses from cybersecurity threats. Eighteen educational and community-based organizations in 15 states will receive a combined $200k as grants to combat the shortage of trained cybersecurity professionals. Under the supervision of the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education, the grantees will establish Regional Alliances and Multistakeholder Partnerships to stimulate cybersecurity education and workforce development. The initiative will also collaborate with local businesses and nonprofits that require a strong cybersecurity labor force.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), a department within the U.S. Commerce Department, has disclosed the allocation of almost $3.6 million in collaborative contracts aimed at establishing a labor force to protect companies from cybersecurity threats. On April 3, NIST revealed that 18 educational and community-based groups across 15 states were set to receive approximately $200,000 each in grants to fill the void of trained cybersecurity professionals. The National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE), a collaboration among governments, academic institutions, and private firms, will supervise these cooperative agreements.
Laurie E. Locascio, NIST's Director, commented that the investment is addressing an imperative deficit in the cyberdefense workforce, emphasizing that the country's economic and national security hinge on a highly proficient labor force capable of warding off an escalating torrent of cyber threats. The CyberSeek tool funded by NICE demonstrates that in the previous year the regional market reported close to 450,000 vacancies in cybersecurity, stressing the existing gap the initiative aims to fill.
Statista's data shows that in 2023, at least 100 private data exposure incidents involving U.S. government agencies were reported, an increase from 74 in 2022. 15 million people were affected by these security breaches. The Consumer Sentinel Network reported that data compromises affected over 353 million people overall in 2023. Furthermore, the FBI’s Internet Crime report indicated public complaints regarding cybercrimes surged 10% to 880,418 in 2023. Damages from cybercrime are projected to balloon to $10.5 trillion by 2025.
The recipients of the NIST award will collaboratively establish the Regional Alliances and Multistakeholder Partnerships to Stimulate (RAMPS) cybersecurity education and workforce development. This initiative plans to coordinate with local businesses and non-profits that require a strengthened cybersecurity labor force. In November the previous year, under the guidance of an executive order from the Biden administration, NIST also undertook the establishment of an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Safety Institute consortium for promoting AI safety policies.
Published At
4/4/2024 12:19:27 PM
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