创新背景

证书已经成为一种把人排除在外的工具，因为社会要求人们在职业生涯早期就拿到证书，而许多证书需要五年的工作经验。它成为人们就业的一道障碍，而不是进入一家机构的一条途径，然后，对于那些经济上无法负担这些沉重证书的人，没有太多的支持。”

创新过程

阿斯彭研究所技术政策中心和阿斯彭数字公司举办了一场专注于网络安全员工多样性的活动，专家们在活动中表示，员工的背景和经验的范围直接影响到网络安全任务。

同一天发布的一份报告就如何培养多样化的网络安全劳动力提出了建议，这是一个以劳动力市场紧张著称的行业的剩余增长领域。这份由网络和劳动力专家共同撰写的新报告，旨在列出改善网络行业多样性和包容性的最佳做法，解决了从刑事背景调查到高管问责等问题。作者建议重新评估证书的有效性，以衡量网络工作的能力。

专家们说，昂贵的证书可能会成为进入该领域的障碍。

埃森哲全球人力资源业务合伙人Karyn McMullen Harker发现，很多人通过在某些关键话题上相互合作来学习。所以提供认证的机会对组织来说是一件很好的事情，但要求它只会让人们过早地在职业生涯中被拒之门外。
谷歌全球产品安全策略主管Camille Steward表示，如果没有其他进入该领域的途径，认证可能会限制整体劳动力的多样性。

专家们举了一个例子，说明国防部和国家安全局之间的“网络安全教育多样化计划”学徒计划中的另一种选择。它为少数族裔服务机构的学生提供私营保安公司的带薪实习机会。

网络安全基础设施署的网络安全顾问福特(Ron Ford)表示，在职位要求方面，求职者可能很难满足入门级工作对多年工作经验的要求。

福特还简要介绍了国土安全部的新人事系统——网络安全人才管理系统，该系统在酝酿多年后将于今年秋天启动。福特希望它将真正打开工作领域的大门，了解当前员工如何达到这些标准，并继续为职业参与和升职开辟道路。它是为未来那些真正想让他们加入公司的员工提供支持，并尝试在一个通常没有见过他们的地方与他们见面。

福特和其他小组成员还指出，由国家网络安全职业和研究倡议开发的NICE工作描述框架是一个有用的工具，以创建专门关注工作所需技能的网络安全工作描述。

在活动上发言的伊利诺伊州民主党众议员劳伦·安德伍德(Lauren Underwood)表示，无论如何，多样性都会直接影响网络安全。打开这个领域可以帮助填补这个紧张的市场的人才缺口，在一个房间里拥有多样化的视角还可以减少威胁评估的盲点，增加创意的数量。

创新价值

这或许会真正打开工作领域的大门，并继续为职业参与和升职开辟道路。

创新关键点

专家们解释了培养多样化网络安全员工的一些障碍，并提供了潜在的解决方案，包括减少对正式认证的依赖。

Cultivate a diverse network security workforce

The Aspen Institute Technology Policy Center and Aspen Digital held an event focused on cybersecurity workforce diversity, and experts said at the event that the range of backgrounds and experiences of employees directly impacts cybersecurity missions.
A report released the same day offered recommendations on how to cultivate a diverse cybersecurity workforce, the remaining growth area in an industry known for tight labor markets.
The new report, written by network and workforce experts, aims to lay out best practices for improving diversity and inclusion in the online industry, addressing issues ranging from criminal background checks to executive accountability. The authors suggest reassessing the validity of certificates to measure the ability of networks to work.
Expensive credentials can be a barrier to entry, experts say.
Karyn McMullen Harker, a partner in Accenture's global human resources practice, finds that many people learn by working with each other on certain key topics. So providing the opportunity for certification is a great thing for organizations, but asking for it just shuts people out too early in their careers.
Camille Steward, Google's head of global product safety strategy, said certification could limit the diversity of the overall workforce without other avenues to enter the field.
Experts cite an example of an alternative to the apprenticeship program known as the Cybersecurity Education Diversity Program between the Defense Department and the National Security Agency. It offers paid internships with private security firms to students in minority services.
Ron Ford, a cybersecurity consultant at the Cybersecurity Infrastructure Agency, said that when it comes to job requirements, job seekers may struggle to meet the years of experience required for entry-level jobs.
Ford also gave a brief overview of DHS's new personnel system, the Cybersecurity Talent Management System, which will launch this fall after years in the making. Ford hopes it will really open the door to the world of work to understand how current employees meet those standards and continue to open the way for career engagement and promotion. It's about supporting future employees who really want them to join the company and trying to meet them in a place where they wouldn't normally be seen.
Ford and other panelists also noted that the NICE Job description framework, developed by the National Cybersecurity Careers and Research Initiative, is a useful tool to create cybersecurity job descriptions that specifically focus on the skills required for the job.
Representative Lauren Underwood, Democrat of Illinois, who spoke at the event, said diversity has a direct impact on cybersecurity one way or another. Opening up the field can help fill the talent gap in this tight market, and having diverse perspectives in one room can also reduce blind spots in threat assessment and increase the number of ideas.