FEDERAL CYBER DEFENSE SKILLING ACADEMY           

Accepting Applications – December 31^st Deadline!

Systems Security Analysis Pathway – Session 1

Receive a voucher to take the CompTIA Security+ Certification Exam

This training session runs from January 12, 2026, through February 9th, 2026

Visit our website to begin your application!

The Systems Security Analysis Pathway is a 4-week, virtual, instructor-led cybersecurity training course that equips professionals with essential skills in analyzing and securing modern IT infrastructures. Through hands-on labs and real-world simulations, participants will learn about vulnerability assessment, system hardening, and security control implementation across traditional and cloud environments. 

COURSE DESCRIPTION

The Systems Security Analysis Pathway is a comprehensive 4-week, virtual, instructor-led cybersecurity training course designed to develop expertise in systems security analysis and protection. Starting with foundational security principles, participants progress through operating system hardening, network security, and application protection while gaining hands-on experience with industry-standard tools. The course emphasizes practical application through vulnerability scanning, firewall configuration, and intrusion detection across various environments. By course completion, students gain introductory skills to design and implement comprehensive security assessment strategies, execute full-scale vulnerability assessments, and effectively communicate findings through professional documentation.

During this Skilling Academy pathway, time will be allocated to provide training aligned with the CompTIA Security+ Certification Exam. Participants in this training course will be eligible to receive one free voucher to test for this certification exam following successful course completion.

Note: Students will be expected to report their certification pass/fail status to the Skilling Academy.

PARTICIPANTS WILL LEARN HOW TO

• Set up and configure secure virtual environments for cybersecurity testing
• Implement system hardening techniques across Windows and Linux systems
• Identify and exploit common web application vulnerabilities
• Assess cloud infrastructure for security vulnerabilities

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES RELATED TO THIS SUBJECT

• Systems Security Analyst
• Security Engineer
• IT Security Specialist
• Infrastructure Security Analyst
• Security Operations Analyst
• Network Security Engineer
• Application Security Analyst
• Cloud Security Engineer

PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY

All full-time United States federal employees, in any job series and any grade or grade equivalent for non-General Schedule (GS) employees, are eligible to apply to CISA’s Federal Cyber Defense Skilling Academy. Selected participants within the Skilling Academy must retain their full-time employment status in the federal government for the duration of the course to maintain eligibility. Government contractors are not permitted to participate. Participation in the Skilling Academy is prioritized for individuals from Departments and Agencies within the Federal Civilian Executive Branch. Applications from other federal government entities are welcome and will be considered based on course availability and program requirements.

HOW TO APPLY

Interested applicants must submit a completed Supervisor and Applicant Agreement form to SkillingAcademy@cisa.dhs.gov. The form must be electronically signed using a digital certificate (i.e., PIV or CAC). Visit our website to learn more about the application process.