Security Manager's Journal: Back to infosec school will require seeking dollars for scholars

Computerworld - This installment of "Security Manager's Journal" originally appeared in Computerworld's print edition.

Trouble Ticket

• At issue: Our manager wants an advanced degree but can't afford it.
• Action plan: Find out about a federal program that trades years of service for years of funding.

I have always wanted to get an advanced degree in information security. The difficulties are time and money: I can make the time only if I stop making money.

I believe strongly in the merits of self-improvement, including professional training. I have been fortunate, working for the state, in being able to avail myself of opportunities for technical training such as Cisco certifications. But the state doesn't pay for course credits, so I decided to do a little research.

The Web site of (ISC)², the organization that awards the CISSP, has a resource guide that lists universities and colleges offering infosec programs at all levels of study, as well as training affiliates and a schedule of security conferences, trade shows and events.

OK, the programs I wanted were at my fingertips, but how was I going to pay for any of them?

That's when I discovered that the federal government will pay for advanced infosec education if you're willing to work for the government afterward. You have to commit to a year of service for every year of schooling the government pays for. That sounded intriguing.

The Information Assurance Scholarship Program is sponsored by the Department of Defense and managed by the National Security Agency. Schools that meet certain requirements can apply for grants to fund students' educations.

But there are requirements for the students as well, all laid out in detail in a document available online. This statement looked enticing: "If all conditions are met, Information Assurance Scholars will receive full-time conditional/ permanent positions in agencies and components of the DOD upon program completion."

The scholarship provides for tuition, books, fees, supplies, lab expenses and equipment, plus a small stipend ($10,000 for undergraduate studies and $15,000 for graduate work). There is no support for dependents, and one must be a full-time student. Those with disabilities may receive more in allowances.

The good news is that a student can apply for the scholarship for each year of study as long as academic and internship performance requirements are met -- contingent upon the availability of funding, of course.

Security Risk?

Besides being accepted by the school of your choice, you must obtain a security clearance. That's something I've never had to do, but I did find a Web site that's helpful in understanding the process from a layman's perspective.

An adjudicator decides your fate, weighing factors such as a history of financial problems (failure to meet financial obligations or an inability or unwillingness to satisfy debts, for example); emotional, mental or personality disorders; signs of foreign sympathies, such as possession of a valid foreign passport; criminal conduct; and a drug record.

There are also "Adjudicative Guidelines," which can be found on the U.S. State Department Web site. A "whole person" evaluation is used to find out every single thing about you: personal conduct, sexual behavior, financial dealings, alcohol consumption, nonwork activities and misuse of IT systems, among other traits.

It's sobering to think about being examined so thoroughly, but I have to hope that allowances are made for those of us who didn't fully achieve maturity at the age of majority. Will I be sent packing because I once bounced a check by accidentally using an old checkbook, because I got wild on my 30th birthday, because I tried pot once or because I spent a year drinking too much until I realized what I was doing?

It's also ironic. I mean, security is my business. Why should I be worried about getting a security clearance?

I would love to hear from any of you who have availed yourself of a federal infosec scholarship or who have successfully obtained a security clearance. I'm eager to move ahead, but it sounds like I have my work cut out for me.

This week's journal is written by a real security manager, "C.J. Kelly," whose name and employer have been disguised for obvious reasons. Contact her at mscjkelly@yahoo.com.

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