Monday, July 5, 2021

Lawmakers Reprise Bill to Augment Federal Workforce

A new bill to increase the federal government’s cybersecurity workforce would establish a pilot program to train veterans for careers in the field and a training initiative with the Department of Homeland Services (DHS) cyber wing.

At first glance, hiring cyber criminals in the U.S. federal government could leave some federal agencies reliant on in-house cybersecurity talent rather than outsourced MSSP services. But if you take a closer look, it’s a sure thing that the growing US cybersecurity professional will continue to rely heavily on MSSPs in the face of rising cyber threats around the world, believes MSSP Alert.

The federal law to expand the cybersecurity force aims to recruit and prepare veterans to defend the country against cyberattacks and to establish registered apprenticeships, which are run by the Cybersecurity Infrastructure and Security Agency (CISA). Sens. Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and John Cornyn (R-TX) are sponsoring the event. The veteran education program would be housed at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

“In order to strengthen our cyber defense and protect our critical infrastructure, we have to increase the number of cybersecurity experts in the federal government,” said Hassan. “This bipartisan bill will also help address the workforce challenges in the veteran community by establishing a cyber training program at the VA to help veterans find well-paid, stable jobs, and I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation. “She called the country’s cybersecurity infrastructure” regrettably inadequate. “

Cornyn said “capitalizing on our veterans’ experience and creating more hands-on learning opportunities” would help the US better prepare to counter cyberattacks by its opponents.

The federal government has been fighting for some time with many authorities, especially the DHS, for cyber talent and is striving for them to strengthen their own cybersecurity staff. For example, DHS and CISA will expedite the process of hiring security professionals, modernize skilled cybersecurity skills, and compete with the private sector on salaries. The DHS budget proposal for fiscal 2022 calls for the agency to hire 150 cybersecurity professionals in fiscal 2021 and another 150 in fiscal 2022. And in May, DHS launched a 60-day hiring campaign to expand its cybersecurity roster.

The bill isn’t the first step lawmakers have taken to empower the cyber workforce in government agencies. In June, Reps. Ro Khanna (D-CA) and Nancy Mace (R-SC) reinstated the Federal Rotational Cyber ​​Workforce Program within the Office of Personnel Management. Its key selling point is that it offers civil employees opportunities to advance their careers, expand their work experience and expand their network. Labor legislation could allow MSSPs to develop relationships with multiple government agencies more quickly each time a contact changes from one agency to another. The bill was previously passed in the Senate in 2019, but did not come to a vote in the House of Representatives.

According to a 2020 report by the International Information System Security Certification Consortium (ISC) ², which runs training and certification programs, the global cybersecurity talent gap has closed somewhat year-over-year. The study found that the cybersecurity profession has seen significant growth across its global ranks, rising to 3.5 million people currently in the field, up 700,000 professionals, or 25 percent more than last year. The study also shows a corresponding decrease in global labor shortages to 3.12 million now, compared to 4.07 million reported last year. The data suggests that employment in this field will need to grow about 41 percent in the US and 89 percent globally to fill the talent gap.



source https://collegeeducationnewsllc.com/lawmakers-reprise-bill-to-augment-federal-workforce/

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