The $51 billion proposed by the White House for IT in its fiscal 2017 budget proposal includes $37 million to expand standing teams of cybersecurity experts within DHS to provide readily-available cybersecurity capabilities to departments and agencies.
The budget also includes $62 million for three initiatives to address cybersecurity recruitment challenges: Expanding the National Science Foundation’s CyberCorps Scholarship for Service program to establish a sustainable cadre of cyber reservists and enhance opportunities for career cybersecurity experts across departments and agencies; Developing a foundational cybersecurity curriculum for academic institutions to consult and adopt; and, Providing grants to academic institutions to develop or expand cyber education programs as part of the National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity Program.
OPM also is seeking to place 500 technology and design experts by January 2017 to improve customer satisfaction with federal technology services. US Digital Services worked with OPM to create a term-appointment hiring authority for Digital Services Experts to more quickly get talent into government. According to the budget that authority is being used by USDS and agency digital services teams to hire individuals for up to two years once appointed.