DOJ Creates Cybersecurity Fellowship Program for National Security Lawyers, Prosecutors

The Department of Justice has introduced a new program that seeks to develop skills that prosecutors and lawyers can use in handling emerging threats to national security.

The three-year Cyber Fellowship program is designed for attorneys with real-world experience in cyber threats and national security, rotating professionals selected through various DOJ components, including the criminal and national security divisions as well as the U.S. attorneys’ offices, Nextgov reported Friday.

The new program will be coordinated through the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section.

Selected fellows will have the opportunity to investigate and prosecute cyber threats sponsored by governments, transnational criminal groups, cyberattacks against infrastructure and software, and the financing and profiting from cyber-based crimes through cryptocurrency and money laundering, according to a DOJ statement announcing the fellowship program.

Professionals who are interested in participating in the fellowship are required to agree to three-year commitments, qualify for a top secret security clearance and be based in the Washington, D.C. area.

Candidates may apply for the program until Sept. 8 through the DOJ’s Honors Program portal.

The creation of the fellowship program is a result of a recommendation under the Justice Department’s ongoing cyber review.

The DOJ review, which was launched in May, is a four-month effort to examine various aspects of the department’s cybersecurity strategy. 

The audit includes an assessment of recent supply chain attacks like the SolarWinds Orion campaign in late 2020, the use of artificial intelligence by hacking crews, cryptocurrency and ransomware.

Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco is leading the initiative with the goal of providing “actionable recommendations” to address cyber threats.