The Biden administration has announced that it is working to remove four-year college degree requirements for some cybersecurity positions available to federal contractors as part of a push to expand the cybersecurity workforce.
Newly confirmed National Cyber Director Harry Coker is working with the White House Office of Management and Budget to remove the college degree requirement for some roles to improve the diversity of the cybersecurity workforce and grow its ranks.
We’ve rounded up articles from SHRM Online and other outlets to provide more context on the news.
In Need of Talent
Coker said the federal government also plans to carry out a series of hiring sprints this year, which will include recruiting events at places neglected by the federal government in the past, to fill open cybersecurity positions. He said that there are at least half a million open positions in the industry in desperate need of being filled, at a time when IT systems are increasingly being targeted for attack.
Congressional Action
A bipartisan House bill—the Federal Cybersecurity Workforce Expansion Act—was introduced in December 2023. It aims to bolster the nation’s cybersecurity workforce by establishing a cybersecurity registered apprenticeship program as well as a pilot program at the Department of Veterans Affairs that would provide cybersecurity training to veterans. Companion legislation was introduced in the Senate in July 2023.
A separate bipartisan bill to relax educational requirements for federal cyber workers overwhelmingly passed the House in October 2023.
(FedScoop)
SHRM Joins the Effort
SHRM announced it would provide free training to HR professionals to help advance the goal of recruiting, developing and retaining critical cyber talent.
Developed in conjunction with the SANS Institute, which specializes in information security and cybersecurity training, the SHRM toolkit will show HR practitioners how to assess and recruit skilled applicants for cyber workforce jobs as well as develop career paths and retain these vital workers. It is expected that at least 15,000 HR professionals will take advantage of the toolkit and contribute to the hiring of up to 75,000 cyber professionals by the end of fiscal year 2024.
Why You Can’t Find a Chief Information Security Officer
Chief information security officer (CISO) is one of the hottest jobs in all of IT and C-level management. This position is vitally needed in light of the increase in cybercrime over the last few years. In response, organizations are raising spending on cybersecurity. But technology solutions are not enough. Cybersecurity requires expert guidance to manage risk and plot a course toward a more secure future. The problem is that such leaders are in short supply.
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