Idaho National Laboratory (INL) will collaborate with government, academia, and private sector organizations to seek and validate solutions to improve the cybersecurity workforce development pipeline and address the needs of the nation’s cyber workforce. This research will include potential employees from high school thru retirement age. By incorporating multi-discipline cohort teams, ICRP proposes an adaptive methodology to bridge the gap between employer cybersecurity needs and the career goals of employees and the evolving needs of the industry.

The Idaho Cyber Research Project (ICRP) aims to solve the disconnect between employers, academia, and potential employees with regard to the knowledge, skills, and abilities an industrial cybersecurity role requires and how that transfers to potential employee qualifications. This project takes a hands-on approach by meeting with employers to determine what tasks a cybersecurity role would perform and  determine the hands-on training needed and apprenticeship opportunities.

idaho cyber research project intern

ICRP IMG

Internship Cyber Research

In the summer of 2021, the first cohort of interns began research. These cohorts include students from across the State of Idaho. Each team is assigned one of the following research topics to focus on and discover and address their findings to designated mentors and the ICS Community of Practice. The research will be perpetual and is handed onto the next cohort of interns year after year.

Primary Areas of Cybersecurity Research

  • Cyber Job Roles and Tasks to Align Training

  • Cyber Workforce Issues Facing Organizations

  • Cyber Career Issues Facing Individuals

  • Cybersecurity Skills Development Tools

  • Machine Learning Cyber Training Curriculum Analysis

Participating Idaho Universities and Colleges

idaho colleges and universitites

Intern Experiences

The Idaho Cyber Research Project (ICRP) is part of INL’s University Partnership Internship Program.  Internship positions are paid summer opportunities with  potential for year-round positions. The ICRP 2021 intern activities and accomplishments included:

  • National and Homeland Security Intern Enrichment Series
  • Completing Poster and Technical Presentation for Intern Expo
  • Escape Room Collaborations
  • Continuing to add course details to Training Repository

  • Briefing Gov. Little on summer research
  • Briefing management on summer research
  • Mapping and complying the requirements of ISA 62443 to the Cyber-CHAMP model.

Education Opportunities

This project is creating a centralized repository of state and national educational and training resources for individuals and businesses interested in cybersecurity. This includes degree programs, certifications, workshops and camps available throughout the State. 

college of easter idaho cyber summer camp

ICRP iStock

 

Industrial Cybersecurity Community of Practice

The community of practice (COP) brings together professionals focused on industrial cybersecurity (ICS) education, training and workforce development efforts throughout government, academia, and industry. The foundation of the group leverages  INL’s existing ICS experience, research and training to:

  • INTEGRATE  stakeholders and practitioners with similar interest in a consolidated framework,
  • DEVELOP common views on career pathways in operational technology (OT) cybersecurity, and
  • MAP foundational pedagogical paradigms to educate and train our workforce.

Industrial cybersecurity workforce

Idaho Cyber Task Force

To meet the increasing threat and leverage Idaho’s resources and expertise, the Governor is convening a Cybersecurity Task Force to focus on identifying cybersecurity assets, resources, public-private partnerships; promoting improved business, government, and personal cybersecurity procedures; ensure secure, transparent and resilient election infrastructure; and enhancing the educational pipeline for cybersecurity workforce needs.

The Task Force is co-chaired by Idaho Department of Commerce Director, Tom Kealey and Idaho National Laboratory Associate Laboratory Director, Zach Tudor.

Boise iStock

TO GET INVOLVED IN THE IDAHO CYBER RESEARCH PROJECT