Private Study Finds Lack Of Cybersecurity Experts In The US: Cyber Jobs Must Be More Lucrative

As it stands today, the United States has a severe shortage of  cybersecurity experts, making the US vulnerable to cyber attacks similar to July 4th incident, according to the “Cyber IN-Security: Strenghtening The Federal Cybersecurity Workforce,” conducted by the nonprofit Partnership for Public Service and consultant firm Booz Allen Hamilton. 

“The overriding finding of our analysis is that our federal government will be unable to combat these threats without a more coordinated, sustained effort to increase cyber-security expertise in the federal work force,” the study writes. Leading some to wonder, where is the cyber czar? It has been since May when the 60-Day Cyberspace Review was released and still no word on who President Obama’s cyber coordinator will be.

Citing bureaucratic issues such as lack of sophisticated recruiting methods and compensation, as well as no formal cybersecurity job definition and career path, the study recommended that federal agencies collaborate at a higher level regarding issues of cyber security and more structure is needed when sharing intelligence. 

The study recommended that more funding be delegated towards the math and sciences academic disciplines to increase the number of mid-level and senior-level cybersecurity experts and employees. Right now the main federal cyber-career program, called the Scholarship for Service Program, brings in about 120 individuals every year. The study said that at least 1,000 cyber employees are currently needed to balance the magniatiute of cyber threats that the US receives each year.

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