The CyberSN Taxonomy
A shared cybersecurity language between employers and professionals.
Our Taxonomy serves as the foundation upon which all CyberSN services and technology are built — enabling unparalleled precision in job matching, talent development, and organizational planning.
Capability Categories
Spanning the full cyber and IT workforce
Functional Roles
Granular definitions mapped to real work
Framework Aligned
Extended upon the federal NICE standard
Aligned and Extended Upon the NICE Framework
By aligning with the NICE Framework, we ensure that our taxonomy reflects the latest in cybersecurity education, training, and workforce development standards. CyberSN's Taxonomy then takes it a step further to encompass all areas of cybersecurity.
Adopting a taxonomy based on the NICE Framework and extending it to cover the entire cybersecurity landscape promotes standardization across the industry — streamlining the language used to describe cybersecurity work and facilitating clearer communication among stakeholders.
Learn more about the NICE Framework
The Complete CyberSN Taxonomy
Every role in cybersecurity, classified and standardized. Explore the categories and functional roles that define the work.
Defense
12 roles- Cloud Security Engineer
- Cyber Insider Threat Analyst
- Cyber Threat Intelligence Analyst
- Cybersecurity Administrator
- Cybersecurity Specialist
- Data Loss Prevention Engineer
- Data Security Engineer
- Identity & Access Management Engineer
- PKI Professional
- Security Analyst
- Security Engineer
- Vulnerability / Threat Management Analyst
GRC
5 roles- Cyber Risk Analyst
- Cybersecurity / Privacy Attorney
- Data Privacy Officer
- Governance Risk & Compliance Analyst
- Privacy Analyst
Management
6 roles- C-Suite
- Chief Information Security Officer (CISO)
- Chief Security Officer (CSO)
- Cybersecurity Director
- Cybersecurity Lead
- Cybersecurity Manager
Offense
4 roles- Application Security Engineer
- Penetration Tester
- Red Teamer
- Threat Hunter
Response
3 roles- Digital Forensic
- Incident Responder
- Reverse Engineer / Malware Analyst
Planning
4 roles- Cybersecurity Advisor
- Cybersecurity Program Manager
- Cybersecurity Project Manager
- Security Architect
Product Security
3 roles- Cybersecurity Software Engineer
- DevSecOps
- Product Security Engineer
Research
3 roles- Cryptography Professional
- Cyber Data Scientist
- Security Researcher
Education
2 roles- Cybersecurity Professor / Instructor
- Cybersecurity Technical Writer
Sales
3 roles- Cyber Insurance Professional
- Cyber Sales Professional
- Cybersecurity Sales Engineer
Why a Taxonomy Is Essential
Without a shared language for the work, every workforce decision — hiring, retention, development — starts from a different assumption.
Accurate Classification
Precise categorization of job roles, tasks, and responsibilities — vital for employers to articulate their needs and for professionals to understand role expectations.
Effective Job Matching
Our platform leverages the taxonomy to match cybersecurity professionals with opportunities aligned to their skills, experience, and career aspirations.
Strategic Talent Development
A clear framework for cybersecurity roles that helps organizations identify capability gaps and plan workforce development, retention, and upskilling decisions.
Industry Standardization
Adopting a taxonomy based on the NICE Framework and extending it to cover the full cybersecurity landscape promotes standardization across the industry.
Talent Solutions Powered by the CyberSN Taxonomy
Every service CyberSN delivers — from workforce intelligence to talent matching to managed hiring — is built on this taxonomy. It's what makes capability data comparable across teams, defensible with leadership, and actionable through Talent Solutions.