As a CDNA, you will:

• Use information collected from a variety sources (e.g., intrusion detection systems, firewalls, network traffic logs, and host system logs) to identify potential vulnerabilities, respond to cyber events that occur, and defend against events that might occur
• Help develop mitigations to strengthen network defenses and protect against attacks on network infrastructure devices or systems
• Gain work experience spanning the gamut of data transport possibilities, such as traditional wired networks, wireless transport (including Wi-Fi and cellular), collaborative platforms such as video teleconferencing, and the hardware and software that support it all
• Have the opportunity to advance your career as you develop increasing expertise in networking protocols and architectures, cloud security, Internet of Things protocols, and advanced network security
• Be part of a team, working together with government, military, and contractor personnel to develop shared understandings of intelligence needs, mission relevance, and areas of expertise
• Apply your innate curiosity and analytical talent to form hypotheses, critically assess and choose analysis techniques, then query, merge, enrich, evaluate, and pivot within data to attain and share insights
• Distill, document, contextualize and share your findings (including any new tradecraft that you develop) with teammates, stakeholders, and intelligence consumers

Relevant experience must be in some or all of the following: 

• Computer or information systems design/development, programming
• Information/cyber/network security
• Vulnerability analysis, penetration testing
• Computer forensics
• Information assurance
• Systems engineering

Additionally, must have experience in network or system administration. If not credited toward education requirements, completion of military training in a relevant area will be considered towards relevant experience requirement (i.e., 20- to 24-week courses will count as six months of experience; 10-14 weeks will count as three months of experience). Such training includes:

• JCAC (Joint Cyber Analysis Course)
• Undergraduate Cyber Training (UCT)
• Network Warfare Bridge Course (NWBC)/Intermediate Network Warfare Training (INWT)
• Cyber Defense Operations

In some cases, foreign language proficiency may also be used to satisfy experience requirements; recent Interagency Language Roundtable (ILR) scores are required to substantiate your proficiency level. The total of all experience equivalencies is capped at half of the required years of experience.

Specific labor categories determined by years of experience and educational degrees

Level One

• Two years’ applicable experience with a bachelor’s degree, OR
• Four years’ applicable experience with an associate degree

Level Two

• Two years’ applicable experience with a PhD, OR
• Three years’ applicable experience with a master's degree, OR
• Five years’ applicable experience with a bachelor's degree, OR
• Seven years' applicable experience with an associate degree

Level Three

• Four years’ applicable experience with a PhD, OR
• Six years’ applicable experience with a master's degree, OR
• Eight years’ applicable experience with a bachelor's degree, OR
• Ten years' applicable experience with an associate degree

Level Four

• Seven years’ applicable experience with a PhD, OR
• Nine years’ applicable experience with a master's degree, OR
• Eleven years’ applicable experience with a bachelor's degree, OR
• Thirteen years' applicable experience with an associate degree