Federal agencies continue to face some of the same problems hiring enough cybersecurity talent today as they did in 2009 when the Partnership for Public Service first studied the issue.
In a report prepared with Booze Allen, “Cyber In-Security II: Closing the Federal Talent Gap,” PPS said a coordinated government-wide strategy to supply high level talent is still missing – noting that only DoD and DHS have managed to get legislative authority to better compete on pay and incentives, for example.
Further, the federal hiring process remains a clear impediment to hiring top talent. Despite unique flexibilities at some agencies, a cumbersome hiring process that takes too long results in lost candidates to private sector jobs.
Progress has been made in other areas though. The government is beginning to better define cybersecurity jobs (PPS notes that recent efforts to begin inventorying the cybersecurity workforce do not include plans for a competency assessment). And whereas agencies faced an inadequate pipeline for new cyber talent in 2009, today tools have been added to increase the talent pool, although demand still outstrips supply.