US Government Looking to Fill Cybersecurity Jobs

Recently, the US Department of Homeland Security announced a new recruitment system, the Cybersecurity Talent Management System (CTMS), aimed at helping the federal government recruit, develop and re-train cybersecurity professionals.

For those who keep up to date with the world of cybersecurity, this comes as no surprise. In recent times, several high-profile hacks and cybersecurity incidents have rocked the governmental, law enforcement, and security sectors.

From the SolarWinds supply-chain attack that directly affected government agencies and downstream contractors to nation-state-sponsored attacks on port authorities, critical infrastructure, and government-affiliated entities, it’s been a tough year for the US authorities regarding cybercrime. Not to mention targeted ransomware attacks on organizations, such as Colonial Pipeline and meat supplier JBS USA.

In fact, the FBI’s very own email servers were recently hacked, blasting out fake security alerts to its contacts.

All of this comes amid one of the most significant talent shortages in cybersecurity around the globe. As many as 64% of cybersecurity professionals report that their organization faces some level of cybersecurity staff shortage, with 56% believing that this directly contributes to extreme cybersecurity risks. The lack of experts to fill these roles is particularly painful at CISO and leadership-level.

 

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In light of these very public failings of the US’s overall cybersecurity infrastructure, the Biden-Harris administration has given many strong signals that it intends to prioritize cybersecurity like never before, including a massively inflated budget.

DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas accepted the shortcomings of conventional talent acquisition channels and the need for cybersecurity entities to evolve, “As our nation continues to face an evolving threat landscape, we cannot rely only on traditional hiring tools to fill mission-critical vacancies. This new system will enable our Department to better compete for cybersecurity professionals and remain agile enough to meet the demands of our critical cybersecurity mission.”

The DHS plays a pivotal role in protecting and responding to major cyberattacks on US critical infrastructure or governmental entities. Now, it’s trying to further improve the security posture of the US by helping to develop the expertise of its cybersecurity talent as well as secure more human resources in this field.

In fact, the DHS intends to hire over 150 candidates for priority roles throughout 2022. While the main goal is to fill high-level positions, such as CISOs and CIOs, the program will encompass all roles from entry to expert level.

According to the statement, “CTMS will enable DHS to fill mission-critical cybersecurity positions by screening applicants based on demonstrated competencies, competitively compensating employees, and reducing the time it takes to be hired into the department.”

CISA (Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency) and the DHS itself will be the first benefactors of this hiring drive in the hopes of filling high-priority vacancies within these agencies first.

 

References

Cybersecurity Professionals Stand Up to a Pandemic
ISACA’s Cybersecurity Study Reveals Struggles with Hiring and Retention Persist, More Diversity Progress Needed