Bolstering the Federal Cyber Workforce

The global cybersecurity workforce has reached a new peak at 5.5 million professionals, but according to a new report, demand still outdistances the number of qualified employees. This research notes a growing problem particular to the public sector — 78% of government and 76% of those in the military sector faced staffing shortages. As cyber threats proliferate worldwide, it’s critical for the federal government to recruit and retain cyber talent.

The White House and Congress are both seeking to address the cyber workforce gap through recent executive and legislative efforts. In October, the House passed the Modernizing the Acquisition of Cybersecurity Experts Act, or MACE Act (H.R. 4502). Under this bill, federal agencies would not be able to place minimum education requirements on cybersecurity jobs unless required by law. This bill has been received by the Senate and is currently still being reviewed.

The MACE Act reinforces the National Cyber Workforce and Education Strategy’s (NCWES) efforts to recruit and strengthen the skills of federal cybersecurity workers. Released in July, the NCWES is a first-of-its-kind approach to addressing short and long-term cyber workforce needs. The strategy is comprised of four pillars:

• Equip Every American with Foundational Cyber Skills — Make cyber skill learning opportunities more accessible.
• Transform Cyber Education — Improve cyber education in K-12 schools and higher education.
• Expand and Enhance the National Cyber Workforce — Collaborate with stakeholders to recruit and increase access to cyber jobs for all Americans.
• Strengthen the Federal Cyber Workforce — Communicate the benefits of careers in the public sector and lower the barriers to entry.

Several stakeholders, including a handful of agencies, private-sector partners, and academia have pledged commitments to further the goals of the NCWES. The strategy recognizes that the federal government can’t do this work alone — collaboration is key to continue driving change.

Outside of those efforts, there is more that can be done to continue bolstering our cyber workforce. The federal government should continue to recruit and consider candidates from a wide talent pool, including those with diverse backgrounds, identities and educations.

One of those populations to consider includes military veterans (with or without IT experience), who are in a unique position to be well-suited for cyber roles. Veterans understand the importance of maintaining a strong defense posture and teamwork, which are desirable qualities for cyber professionals. Unfortunately, a recent report showed that there was an overall decrease in hiring veterans compared to the previous year, with 47% of organizations stating they hired veterans in cyber roles compared to 53% in 2021.

As outlined in the NCWES, the federal government should continue to leverage the resources of private-sector partners, such as free educational training programs and career service transition programs for military veterans.

Cybersecurity professionals know that cyber threats aren’t slowing down any time soon. It’s up to our federal government and its trusted industry partners to increase efforts to mitigate the public-sector cyber skills gap. Agencies need to be equipped with their best resources and personnel to protect our critical infrastructure from cyberattacks. It’s promising to see the continued efforts from our federal government to bolster its cyber workforce — and we must continue making this a priority.

Steve Hoffman is President of Fortinet Federal, Inc. (FFI), where he leads a team of engineering, business development, sales, and systems support professionals. He assumed the FFI leadership role to expand the team and enhance the support Fortinet Federal delivers to public-sector cybersecurity and network operations initiatives. With an emphasis on helping agencies identify, mitigate, and prevent malicious attacks on their data, networks, and operational environments, Steve and FFI are dedicated to delivering proven cybersecurity and networking solutions to the U.S. Federal Government. As a seasoned professional with a bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland and more than 25 years of business and technology experience, Steve has held executive leadership roles with industry-leading firms such as Cisco, Palo Alto Networks and HP Security. He continues to focus on meeting the advanced mission and security requirements of Civilian, Defense, and Intelligence Community agencies.

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