This panel of top industry and government experts explores how US agencies can hire the right cyber professionals, the issues a cyber workforce shortage creates, and what approaches we can take to address this challenge.
Aired on February 23, 2011
Expert Reactions: David Ascione, Associate
Workforce growth and development is traditionally realized in a more or less linear fashion. In contrast, cyber workforce competency and proficiency requirements are growing exponentially with advancements in technology. This presents significant challenges to government leaders and the human capital professionals charged with ensuring cyber organizations are equipped with the right people with the right competencies and skills to meet mission objectives. Acquiring and developing cyber talent that meets the requirements of today is not sufficient in this case. The cyber workforce of today and tomorrow will be required to exhibit regular and rapid skills adaptation and transformation in keeping pace with technology developments in addition to demonstrated hands-on technical ability. Adaptability may warrant as much attention as technical skill in the discussion of cyber workforce growth.
Principal with extensive experience in learning, human capital, and change management within the security market.
In government, cybersecurity training has evolved greatly. Much of this is due to the fact that it’s been a challenge trying to define what a cyber threat is and which skills and capabilities the cyber workforce must have to meet that threat. Because the cyber threat popped up quickly, the U.S. government focused on the most critical training required to meet the challenge; government agencies started largely in the technical area, where they had a lot of capability. Now, as the dust settles, clearly there are other skills the cyber workforce needs to include such as analytical skills to address the complete threat picture.
There are numerous challenges to developing cyber analysts. One has been the emphasis on certifications and technical skills – another is the lack of well-defined competencies for cyber analysts.
Adequate training is also difficult given the pace of change. Put aside the fact that there's a need to focus on the analytical component – the technical side changes all the time. It's difficult to keep up.
Furthermore, it’s not clear who is addressing the training and development needs of these analysts. Are cyber organizations thinking about how to develop these broader analytical skills in their Read more
To help address the technical skills for cyber analysts Booz Allen has a cyber university, to increase the the firm’s talent pool to support government agencies. The Cyber University has evolved into boot camps, advanced training and mentoring programs, and technical certifications where our cyber professionals can acquire new competencies. Read more
Senior Associate with deep expertise in recruitment and workforce planning.
Safeguarding our government's complex cyber infrastructure will require a blended workforce of well-trained contractors, military, and civilian cyber warriors. Attracting, hiring, and developing top cyber talent is a priority for our federal government that has a direct tie to our national and economic security, and is challenge that is only made more difficulty by existing and anticipated retention difficulties in these high-demand career fields. Market-focused strategies focusing on agile and web-based recruiting and selection strategies that capitalize on federal hiring flexibilities will be key to building the front-line of U.S. cyber defense.
~Eric Vazquez, Senior Associate
Associate specializing in competency modeling and assessment.
The ongoing discussion in the federal government of how to build cyber programs to meet established and emerging missions has been interesting to watch. As with any significant transformation, the discussion requires attention to each of the four dimensions of change: people, process, technology, and physical Infrastructure. While each dimension presents its own obstacles to cyber program development, the people component is particularly challenging. Read more
While current federal workforce estimates and the required number of cyber professionals needed in specialized and technical areas vary greatly (further emphasizing the need for more sophisticated cyber workforce planning), the overall takeaway is that the current supply of cyber expertise falls short of the demand. Gaps in cyber workforce capacity and capability are partially attributable to exponential growth in demand for these professionals in keeping pace with rapidly advancing technology. Read more
The focus and attention on cyber across the government and in the media have raised the nation’s awareness and interest in cyber-related topics. The growing demand for cyber talent and interest from students and professionals in pursuing cyber as a career field has been met with greater opportunity for acquiring degrees and certification through a variety of programs offered by academic institutions and private organizations. Read more
Senior Associate with expertise in workforce planning analysis.
“Creating a robust Federal cyber workforce capability will take significant planning and analysis. Transforming existing technology professionals and bringing in waves of new staff with specific cyber expertise will require changes across the spectrum of workforce management practices. Sound workforce planning lays the foundation for clear linkages between demand for cyber workforce, the existing supply of skilled workforce able to meet that demand (internally in government and out in the labor market), and the very real constraints government organizations face.”
~Meghan Collins, Senior Associate
Senior Associate with deep expertise in recruitment and workforce planning.
Among the most significant challenges to finding and recruiting professionals for cybersecurity positions is the speed of federal hiring itself. Despite federal budget cuts, federal hiring managers are urgently seeking much of the same cyber talent that is highly sought after by their commercial counterparts. Read more
Recruiting for the cybersecurity field differs from recruiting for other fields in that top talent must be identified faster, wooed more quickly, and processed at an operating pace that matches their expectation – fast. Using social media tools to reach, attract, and stay connected with candidates is only half the story. Effective branding and outreach in the market is also vital. But Read more
Principal with extensive experience in learning, human capital, and change management within the security market.
As the government begins to more fully understand the extent of the cyber threat – a threat to not only our national security, but also our financial institutions, our communication networks, and infrastructure – there is recognition that we don’t have a cyber workforce today with the requisite skills to counter this threat. Demand for increased cyber training outstrips the capability of government agencies to deliver. Competency-based training to build out the technical and analytical skills of the cyber workforce is needed now to effectively identify and respond to cyber threats.
~Lee Ann Timreck , Principal
Associate specializing in competency modeling and assessment.
Governments and organizations are increasingly dependent on technology to provide services, sustain operations, and safeguard society. However, these technologies and the systems and processes in place to protect them do not operate independently of the cyber workforce whose competencies and capabilities are required to develop, implement, monitor, and maintain them. The growth and advancement of the cyber workforce has become an indispensable component in protecting our standards of living and securing our tangible and intangible assets and resources.
~David Ascione, Associate
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