Attention:  CISA Learning is now available!  If you are an EXTERNAL (non-CISA) user access the new system using this url: CISA Learning. The Federal Virtual Training Environment (FedVTE) has been permanently decommissioned and replaced by CISA Learning. Please reference the CISA Learning page for the latest information. Please note: CISA Users (staff and contractors) should access CISA Learning through the internal site. You should have received an email on December 4, 2024, titled “CISA Learning is LIVE!” with more information.

Knowledge ID: K1014

Knowledge of network security principles and practices

Work roles with this Knowledge

  • Communications Security (COMSEC) Management

    NICE Framework ID: OG-WRL-001

    Responsible for managing the Communications Security (COMSEC) resources of an organization.

  • Cybersecurity Policy and Planning

    NICE Framework ID: OG-WRL-002

    Responsible for developing and maintaining cybersecurity plans, strategy, and policy to support and align with organizational cybersecurity initiatives and regulatory compliance.

  • Cybersecurity Workforce Management

    NICE Framework ID: OG-WRL-003

    Responsible for developing cybersecurity workforce plans, assessments, strategies, and guidance, including cybersecurity-related staff training, education, and hiring processes. Makes adjustments in response to or in anticipation of changes to cybersecurity-related policy, technology, and staffing needs and requirements.Authors mandated workforce planning strategies to maintain compliance with legislation, regulation, and policy.

  • Cybersecurity Curriculum Development

    NICE Framework ID: OG-WRL-004

    Responsible for developing, planning, coordinating, and evaluating cybersecurity awareness, training, or education content, methods, and techniques based on instructional needs and requirements.

  • Cybersecurity Instruction

    NICE Framework ID: OG-WRL-005

    Responsible for developing and conducting cybersecurity awareness, training, or education.

  • Cybersecurity Legal Advice

    NICE Framework ID: OG-WRL-006

    Responsible for providing cybersecurity legal advice and recommendations, including monitoring related legislation and regulations.

  • Executive Cybersecurity Leadership

    NICE Framework ID: OG-WRL-007

    Responsible for establishing vision and direction for an organization's cybersecurity operations and resources and their impact on digital and physical spaces. Possesses authority to make and execute decisions that impact an organization broadly, including policy approval and stakeholder engagement.

  • Privacy Compliance

    NICE Framework ID: OG-WRL-008

    Responsible for developing and overseeing an organization’s privacy compliance program and staff, including establishing and managing privacy-related governance, policy, and incident response needs.

  • Product Support Management

    NICE Framework ID: OG-WRL-009

    Responsible for planning, estimating costs, budgeting, developing, implementing, and managing product support strategies in order to field and maintain the readiness and operational capability of systems and components.

  • Program Management

    NICE Framework ID: OG-WRL-010

    Responsible for leading, coordinating, and the overall success of a defined program. Includes communicating about the program and ensuring alignment with agency or organizational priorities.

  • Secure Project Management

    NICE Framework ID: OG-WRL-011

    Responsible for overseeing and directly managing technology projects. Ensures cybersecurity is built into projects to protect the organization’s critical infrastructure and assets, reduce risk, and meet organizational goals. Tracks and communicates project status and demonstrates project value to the organization.

  • Security Control Assessment

    NICE Framework ID: OG-WRL-012

    Responsible for conducting independent comprehensive assessments of management, operational, and technical security controls and control enhancements employed within or inherited by a system to determine their overall effectiveness.

  • Systems Authorization

    NICE Framework ID: OG-WRL-013

    Responsible for operating an information system at an acceptable level of risk to organizational operations, organizational assets, individuals, other organizations, and the nation.

  • Systems Security Management

    NICE Framework ID: OG-WRL-014

    Responsible for managing the cybersecurity of a program, organization, system, or enclave.

  • Technology Portfolio Management

    NICE Framework ID: OG-WRL-015

    Responsible for managing a portfolio of technology investments that align with the overall needs of mission and enterprise priorities.

  • Technology Program Auditing

    NICE Framework ID: OG-WRL-016

    Responsible for conducting evaluations of technology programs or their individual components to determine compliance with published standards.

  • Cybersecurity Architecture

    NICE Framework ID: DD-WRL-001

    Responsible for ensuring that security requirements are adequately addressed in all aspects of enterprise architecture, including reference models, segment and solution architectures, and the resulting systems that protect and support organizational mission and business processes.

  • Enterprise Architecture

    NICE Framework ID: DD-WRL-002

    Responsible for developing and maintaining business, systems, and information processes to support enterprise mission needs. Develops technology rules and requirements that describe baseline and target architectures.

  • Secure Software Development

    NICE Framework ID: DD-WRL-003

    Responsible for developing, creating, modifying, and maintaining computer applications, software, or specialized utility programs.

  • Secure Systems Development

    NICE Framework ID: DD-WRL-004

    Responsible for the secure design, development, and testing of systems and the evaluation of system security throughout the systems development life cycle.

  • Software Security Assessment

    NICE Framework ID: DD-WRL-005

    Responsible for analyzing the security of new or existing computer applications, software, or specialized utility programs and delivering actionable results.

  • Systems Requirements Planning

    NICE Framework ID: DD-WRL-006

    Responsible for consulting with internal and external customers to evaluate and translate functional requirements and integrating security policies into technical solutions.

  • Systems Testing and Evaluation

    NICE Framework ID: DD-WRL-007

    Responsible for planning, preparing, and executing system tests; evaluating test results against specifications and requirements; and reporting test results and findings.

  • Technology Research and Development

    NICE Framework ID: DD-WRL-008

    Responsible for conducting software and systems engineering and software systems research to develop new capabilities with fully integrated cybersecurity. Conducts comprehensive technology research to evaluate potential vulnerabilities in cyberspace systems.

  • Data Analysis

    NICE Framework ID: IO-WRL-001

    Responsible for analyzing data from multiple disparate sources to provide cybersecurity and privacy insight. Designs and implements custom algorithms, workflow processes, and layouts for complex, enterprise-scale data sets used for modeling, data mining, and research purposes.

  • Database Administration

    NICE Framework ID: IO-WRL-002

    Responsible for administering databases and data management systems that allow for the secure storage, query, protection, and utilization of data.

  • Knowledge Management

    NICE Framework ID: IO-WRL-003

    Responsible for managing and administering processes and tools to identify, document, and access an organization’s intellectual capital.

  • Network Operations

    NICE Framework ID: IO-WRL-004

    Responsible for planning, implementing, and operating network services and systems, including hardware and virtual environments.

  • Systems Administration

    NICE Framework ID: IO-WRL-005

    Responsible for setting up and maintaining a system or specific components of a system in adherence with organizational security policies and procedures. Includes hardware and software installation, configuration, and updates; user account management; backup and recovery management; and security control implementation.

  • Systems Security Analysis

    NICE Framework ID: IO-WRL-006

    Responsible for developing and analyzing the integration, testing, operations, and maintenance of systems security. Prepares, performs, and manages the security aspects of implementing and operating a system.

  • Technical Support

    NICE Framework ID: IO-WRL-007

    Responsible for providing technical support to customers who need assistance utilizing client-level hardware and software in accordance with established or approved organizational policies and processes.

  • Defensive Cybersecurity

    NICE Framework ID: PD-WRL-001

    Responsible for analyzing data collected from various cybersecurity defense tools to mitigate risks.

  • Digital Forensics

    NICE Framework ID: PD-WRL-002

    Responsible for analyzing digital evidence from computer security incidents to derive useful information in support of system and network vulnerability mitigation.

  • Incident Response

    NICE Framework ID: PD-WRL-003

    Responsible for investigating, analyzing, and responding to network cybersecurity incidents.

  • Infrastructure Support

    NICE Framework ID: PD-WRL-004

    Responsible for testing, implementing, deploying, maintaining, and administering infrastructure hardware and software for cybersecurity.

  • Insider Threat Analysis

    NICE Framework ID: PD-WRL-005

    Responsible for identifying and assessing the capabilities and activities of cybersecurity insider threats; produces findings to help initialize and support law enforcement and counterintelligence activities and investigations.

  • Threat Analysis

    NICE Framework ID: PD-WRL-006

    Responsible for collecting, processing, analyzing, and disseminating cybersecurity threat assessments. Develops cybersecurity indicators to maintain awareness of the status of the highly dynamic operating environment.

  • Vulnerability Analysis

    NICE Framework ID: PD-WRL-007

    Responsible for assessing systems and networks to identify deviations from acceptable configurations, enclave policy, or local policy. Measure effectiveness of defense-in-depth architecture against known vulnerabilities.

  • Cybercrime Investigation

    Category: Investigation
    NICE Framework ID: IN-WRL-001

    Responsible for investigating cyberspace intrusion incidents and crimes. Applies tactics, techniques, and procedures for a full range of investigative tools and processes and appropriately balances the benefits of prosecution versus intelligence gathering.

  • Digital Evidence Analysis

    Category: Investigation
    NICE Framework ID: IN-WRL-002

    Responsible for identifying, collecting, examining, and preserving digital evidence using controlled and documented analytical and investigative techniques.

  • All-Source Analysis

    NICE Framework ID: CI-WRL-001

    Responsible for analyzing data and information from one or multiple sources to conduct preparation of the operational environment, respond to requests for information, and submit intelligence collection and production requirements in support of intelligence planning and operations.

  • All-Source Collection Management

    NICE Framework ID: CI-WRL-002

    Responsible for identifying intelligence collection authorities and environment; incorporating priority information requirements into intelligence collection management; and developing concepts to meet leadership's intent. Determines capabilities of available intelligence collection assets; constructs and disseminates intelligence collection plans; and monitors execution of intelligence collection tasks to ensure effective execution of collection plans.

  • All-Source Collection Requirements Management

    NICE Framework ID: CI-WRL-003

    Responsible for evaluating intelligence collection operations and developing effects-based collection requirements strategies using available sources and methods to improve collection. Develops, processes, validates, and coordinates submission of intelligence collection requirements. Evaluates performance of intelligence collection assets and operations.

  • Cyber Intelligence Planning

    NICE Framework ID: CI-WRL-004

    Responsible for developing intelligence plans to satisfy cyber operation requirements. Identifies, validates, and levies requirements for intelligence collection and analysis. Participates in targeting selection, validation, synchronization, and execution of cyber actions. Synchronizes intelligence activities to support organization objectives in cyberspace.

  • Multi-Disciplined Language Analysis

    NICE Framework ID: CI-WRL-005

    <p>Responsible for applying language and cultural expertise with target, threat, and technical knowledge to process, analyze, and disseminate intelligence information derived from language, voice, and/or graphic materials. Creates and maintains language-specific databases and working aids to support cyber action execution and ensure critical knowledge sharing. Provides subject matter expertise in foreign language-intensive or interdisciplinary projects.</p>

  • Cyberspace Operations

    NICE Framework ID: CE-WRL-001

    Responsible for gathering evidence on criminal or foreign intelligence entities to mitigate and protect against possible or real-time threats. Conducts collection, processing, and geolocation of systems to exploit, locate, and track targets. Performs network navigation and tactical forensic analysis and executes on-net operations when directed.

  • Cyber Operations Planning

    NICE Framework ID: CE-WRL-002

    Responsible for developing cybersecurity operations plans; participating in targeting selection, validation, and synchronization; and enabling integration during the execution of cyber actions.

  • Exploitation Analysis

    NICE Framework ID: CE-WRL-003

    Responsible for identifying access and intelligence collection gaps that can be satisfied through cyber collection and/or preparation activities. Leverages all authorized resources and analytic techniques to penetrate targeted networks.

  • Mission Assessment

    NICE Framework ID: CE-WRL-004

    Responsible for developing assessment plans and performance measures; conducting strategic and operational effectiveness assessments for cyber events; determining whether systems perform as expected; and providing input to the determination of operational effectiveness.

  • Partner Integration Planning

    NICE Framework ID: CE-WRL-005

    <p>Responsible for advancing cooperation across organizational or national borders between cyber operations partners. Provides guidance, resources, and collaboration to develop best practices and facilitate organizational support for achieving objectives in integrated cyber actions.</p>

  • Target Analysis

    NICE Framework ID: CE-WRL-006

    Responsible for conducting target development at the system, component, and entity levels. Builds and maintains electronic target folders to include inputs from environment preparation and/or internal or external intelligence sources. Coordinates with partner target working groups and intelligence community members, and presents candidate targets for vetting and validation. Assesses and reports on damage resulting from the application of military force and coordinates federal support as required.

  • Target Network Analysis

    NICE Framework ID: CE-WRL-007

    Responsible for conducting advanced analysis of collection and open-source data to ensure target continuity; profiling targets and their activities; and developing techniques to gain target information. Determines how targets communicate, move, operate, and live based on knowledge of target technologies, digital networks, and applications.