Strengthening the Cyber Workforce

August 12, 2020

Discussions around protecting the U.S. in cyberspace often focus on technology, policy, and processes, but underlying all of these elements are the people who make up the cyber workforce. Right now, those talented people are spread thin to compensate for tens of thousands of unfilled cyber jobs in the federal workforce and more than half a million unfilled jobs nationwide. It is a national security imperative that the federal government address how it organizes, recruits, develops, and retains its own workforce in order to make meaningful changes to protect the U.S. in cyberspace. Moreover, it must enable growth across the cyber workforce ecosystem nationwide.

The U.S. Cyberspace Solarium Commission’s recommendations address this challenge by proposing tools the U.S. government can use to build more and different pathways into the workforce. The Commission’s recommendations also outline developmental opportunities for prospective and current employees, and establish structures that allow the federal government to better understand and strengthen its own workforce.

Panelists:

• Mark Montgomery: Executive Director (Moderator)

• Laura Bate: Senior Director, Task Force Three Co-Lead

• Tatyana Bolton: Senior Policy Director, Task Force Two; Directorate Four Lead

• Karrie Jefferson: Director for Cyber Engagement, Task Force Three Co-Lead