U.S. Gov. Facing a Severe Cyber Workers Shortage When They Are Needed the Most

August 11, 2021

Max Stier, head of the Partnership for Public Service, told lawmakers during a House Homeland Security Committee hearing on cyber hiring.

Stier’s testimony highlighted deep problems in the government’s cyber workforce. 

·  The cyber workforce since 2016 has actually shrunk at some federal agencies, including the Labor and Agriculture departments.

·  Just 25 percent of government cyber workers are female.

·  There are 16 times more federal IT workers older than 50 than there are younger than 30.

His suggested fixes:

·  Hold top government officials accountable when their agencies can’t retain cyber workers.

·  Create more paid internships for young cybersecurity professionals and make it easy to move from internships to government jobs.

·  Make it easier to pay government cyber professionals higher salaries that compete with the private sector.