The Department of Defense intends to release a cybersecurity workforce implementation plan to accompany its strategy and enable it to identify, recruit, develop and retain top talent globally.
DOD’s plan will provide a list of activities to pursue over the next five years, along with performance indicators monitoring and assessing their impact.
The Pentagon issued its long-awaited Cyber Workforce Strategy in March. That was nearly three weeks after Lt. Gen. Robert Skinner said the Defense Information Systems Agency’s own Workforce 2025 plan would better ensure that personnel with the requisite training are assigned to the right positions, adjust to emerging technologies and embrace hybrid work. The DOD’s strategy lays the foundation for a cyber workforce that can accomplish the department’s various missions, but the list of implementation activities for its CIO to spearhead will be critical in coordinating civilian, officer, enlisted and contract personnel.
Patrick Johnson, director of the DOD Workforce Innovation Directorate, said in a statement that DOD is looking at every aspect of the cyber employee’s lifecycle. The goal is “to ensure we are not only finding and hiring a diverse group of skilled cyber specialists but also developing the tools, resources, and partnerships required to continue to grow these individuals professionally. I’m proud of the work our team has done so far, and we still have a lot more work to do to overcome talent shortages within the cyber workforce.”
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