Looking to use your cyber powers for good? CISA is seeking cyber-superheroes

Got tech skills? Talent? Motivation? How about a desire to use those skills for good? If so, then Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is looking for you. We have nearly 150 open cybersecurity positions that we need to fill fast so we can meet the equally fast-evolving range of cybersecurity threats to our nation.  

 

If you think this may be “just” another federal job—think again. CISA isn’t your typical agency. We do things differently here. We like pushing boundaries smartly and using imagination and innovation to get things done. We have a culture that not only embraces—but actively seeks—diversity. (Looking at you, ethical hackers and people of all backgrounds).  Whether you’re just entering the workforce or have decades of experience, we have vacancies at all levels. 

  

Sound Like You? Then Let’s Meet Up! 

On June 29, 2022, CISA will host a virtual Cyber Hiring event from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.  The event will provide an opportunity for qualified applicants to interview with CISA hiring managers on the spot for more than 150 CISA cybersecurity positions.      

 

Are these positions competitive? Heck yeah-We have already received more than 1,000 resumes that we are pre-screening prior to the event to help match applicants for vacant cyber positions across our workforce.  

  

We offer a diverse set of career prospects, from ethical hackers, who are engaged in penetration testing or "red team" activities, to malware analysts, who study the functionality and potential origins of malware samples. We also have jobs focused on cybersecurity operational planning, partnerships, and program management. A job at CISA means that you would be working at the forefront of the cybersecurity challenges facing our nation and be able to collaborate with other US Government agencies, state and local government organizations, private industry, and top-tier researchers. 

  

At the event, jobseekers can speak with hiring managers and Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer (OCHCO) representatives in division-specific virtual booths, learn about our inclusive culture at CISA, and acquire additional knowledge and understanding about opportunities at the agency. Or come chat with me at the CSD Information Booth, where I’ll be for the duration of the event meeting interested applicants and directing them to hiring managers based on their skills and interests. Rumor has it CISA Jen may stop by, too. 

 

Applicants can participate online through CISA’s portal at: https://app.brazenconnect.com/events/A3nJDHw 

  

For more information about the event, please visit: https://www.cisa.gov/hiring

 

Heard Rumors About the Federal Hiring? We’ve Beat that System, Too. 

Let’s be real - federal hiring can be a drag, the result of interaction of multiple human resources processes and rules.  BUT there is great news on this front for positions in cybersecurity. Specific to this event, we’ve already begun qualifying candidates to reduce the timeframe to job offers. We’d like to have 100+ offers out within two weeks of the 6/29 event. 

Additionally, last summer the Department of Homeland Security, CISA, and our interagency partners, started rolling out an innovative new approach to hiring and retaining top cyber talent, using a new federal personnel system called the DHS Cybersecurity Talent Management System (CTMS).   

  

CTMS is designed to be agile and adaptable, with a variety of hiring and compensation flexibilities intended to enable DHS to compete in the cybersecurity labor market. It is also intended to address recruitment and retention challenges comprehensively.  With CTMS, we expect DHS will be able to streamline hiring, improve the quality of hires, and improve the competitiveness of compensation packages—while ensuring legal defensibility.    

 

We (the Nation) have a problem: About a 500,000+ person gap in the cyber talent pool. 

Today there are hundreds of thousands more vacancies than people with the right skills. CISA is working to address this broader issue by promoting cyber education for K-12 and higher education students, so we can grow our pipeline of future talent.  

 

CISA is also committed to diversity in cybersecurity. The agency has set a goal of 50% women in the cyber workforce by 2030. We work with organizations that represent underserved communities, HBCUs, and others to raise interest and build capability in the cybersecurity field.  These are just a few examples of our commitment to diversity and to working with others to solve a critical national need. 

 

To be the cyber defense agency that the nation deserves, it’s critical that we bring qualified, excited people into CISA that bring the right skills. We need cyber professionals who can work in a fast-pace environment to solve the most pressing and complex problems in our cyber threat landscape. 

  

Not to brag, but we’re a pretty awesome place to work, too.   

Flexible schedules. Cyber Pay. Generous benefit packages. Telework or remote work. A cool mission. Yup, we pretty much have it all.  

The bottom line – A career at CISA will give you a rewarding work/life balance that includes working with great people on challenging projects all aimed at securing our nation’s cyber landscape. If you like puzzles, if you like to solve problems, if you like working in an inclusive culture with diverse teams to solve crazy challenges—then check us out at our hiring fair next Wednesday, June 29.     

 

Applicants can participate online through CISA’s portal at https://app.brazenconnect.com/events/A3nJDHw. For more information about the event, please visit: https://www.cisa.gov/hiring