During a cybersecurity workforce showcase in Washington yesterday, a senior-level Defense Department official spoke to members of Congress and representatives from the academic and cyber communities about the need to increase the department's cybersecurity workforce.

Mark Gorak, director of DOD's Cyber Academic Engagement Office, said there is currently a shortage of over 20,000 cyber professionals departmentwide, including 7,000 essential positions.

"We're at a critical point; cyber talent is a national security imperative," he told the group, adding that the need for skilled cyber professionals has never been greater amid a constantly changing digital landscape filled with relentless adversaries.  

To meet that challenge, Gorak highlighted the work being done through "CyberSkills2Work." 

That program, he said, focuses on drawing in veterans, transitioning service members, first responders and current federal employees, and then providing them with the skills needed to work in the cybersecurity field. 

"These individuals understand service, often hold security clearances, possess mission-focused experience and are eager to continue contributing to our national defense," Gorak said. 

"Through tailored coursework, industry-aligned certifications and support networks, the program equips participants to transition into cybersecurity roles quickly and effectively to serve the nation," he added.

In highlighting the progress made thus far, Gorak said the program has already prepared approximately 3,500 cybersecurity professionals, providing more than $10,000 in education and training. 

Noting the program is "just one piece of a larger puzzle," Gorak said a "comprehensive, multipronged approach" is needed to strengthen the cyber workforce.

To that end, he said DOD's chief information officer is pursuing five key initiatives to develop a "world-class" cyber workforce: 

• Qualifying personnel; 
• Mature, skills-based hiring; 
• Increasing certification and training opportunities;  
• Enhancing cyber workforce initiatives and pay flexibilities; and 
• Recognizing and addressing resource limitations. 

Gorak said the CIO is increasingly relying on data to make better decisions about the cyber workforce and that a newly developed workforce health report is providing leaders with a clearer understanding of their cyber team by showing individual skill sets and the jobs the team is working on. 

"This report pulls together information from across the department, helping leaders see where we have gaps in our workforce and how we can better recruit and keep talented people," he said, adding that the report helps the department gauge the overall health of its cyber team. 

Gorak concluded by emphasizing the role government plays in supporting the department, stating that — by supporting the Cyber Academic Engagement Office — Congress can expect improved cyber workforce development, enhanced national security readiness, streamlined points of contact for congressional inquiries, reduced redundancy and improved return on investment, and a one-stop shop for academia, partners and students. 

"To the congressional members who support this program, to the educators who deliver this training and education, and to the learners, thank you," Gorak said. "Let's keep building the cyber workforce our nation needs into the 21st century and beyond."