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Building the Operational Technology (OT) Cybersecurity Workforce: What are Employers Looking for?

A trained workforce is needed to protect operational technology (OT) and industrial control systems (ICS) within national critical infrastructure and critical industries. However, what knowledge, skills, and credentials are employers looking for in OT cybersecurity professionals? To best train the next generation of OT cybersecurity professionals, an understanding of current OT cybersecurity position requirements is needed. Thus, this work analyzes 100 OT cybersecurity positions to provide insights on key prerequisite requirements such as prior professional experience, education, industry certifications, security clearances, programming expertise, soft verbal and written communication skills, knowledge of OT frameworks, standards, and network communication protocols, and position travel. We found that OT cybersecurity roles are typically non-entry level, as experience was the most common requirement, and was required on 95% of analyzed positions. Possession of a bachelor’s degree or higher was required for 82% of positions, while industry certifications such as the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) or the Global Information Assurance Certification (GIAC) Global Industrial Cyber Security Professional (GICSP) were listed on 64% of positions. Knowledge of OT or IT frameworks and standards and strong communication skills were listed on 48% of positions, while programming expertise, possession of the United States security clearance, and knowledge of OT or IT networking protocols were required for 18%, 24%, and 27% of positions, respectively. A work travel requirement was listed on 29% of positions. Individuals seeking to enter the OT cybersecurity field, and educational programs focusing on training OT cybersecurity professionals should prioritize obtaining experience, education, and certification, possessing strong communication skills, and knowledge of relevant OT and IT industry standards and frameworks.

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A Developed Framework for Studying Cyberethical Behaviour in North Central Nigeria

ICT advancements have enabled more online activities, resulting in several cyberethical behaviours. Literature documents prevalence of plagiarism, and online fraud, among other misbehaviours. While behaviour has been explained by several theories, as scholarship and research advances, frameworks are modified to include more constructs. The researchers modified Fishbein and Ajzen (2011)'s Reasoned Action Approach to study female postgraduate students' perspectives toward cyberethical behaviour in North Central Nigerian universities. The study focused on four variables, which were adequately captured by the model: perception, awareness, and attitude. An adapted questionnaire collected quantitative data. This study used multistage sampling. A sample size of 989 north central Nigerian female university postgraduate students were selected from a population of 9,000. The majority of respondents reported not using copyrighted materials without permission (X = 3.48, N = 834, SD = 0.68) and using student emails for academic purposes (X = 3.36, N = 834, SD = 0.673). Perception and attitude toward cyberethical behaviour were positively correlated (r =0.17; P < 0.05). Perception, awareness, and attitude toward cyberethical behaviour correlated (R2 =0.22). Perception and awareness significantly affected cyberethical behaviour (R2 = 0.09). We recommend that university administrators implement intentional cyberethics policies and curricula to promote ethical internet use.

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