The Biden Administration has announced a sweeping new strategy aimed at rapidly expanding America's cybersecurity workforce. The ambitious plan comes amid a major shortage of cybersecurity professionals needed to fill hundreds of thousands of open jobs across the country.
The National Cyber Workforce and Education Strategy outlines a comprehensive approach to equipping Americans with cyber skills and meeting both immediate and long-term workforce needs. A core goal is empowering people from all backgrounds, including underrepresented groups, to pursue lucrative cyber careers.
Many of these in-demand jobs only require a certification or community college degree and are available nationwide. Cyber workforce shortages pose risks to national security and U.S. leadership in the digital economy. The new strategy complements major investments in infrastructure, manufacturing, and more made through legislation over the past year.
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The multi-faceted plan consists of four pillars focused on building cyber skills:
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Equip Every American with Foundational Cyber Skills
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Transform Cyber Education
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Expand and Enhance the National Cyber Workforce
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Strengthen the Federal Cyber Workforce
Objectives of the strategy include improving competency-based learning models, skills-based hiring practices, career development, and collaboration through local ecosystems.
Another priority is making cyber education more accessible and affordable. The strategy emphasizes enabling lifelong learning so Americans can continuously gain new skills over the course of their careers.
Eduardo Azanza, CEO and Co-Founder at Veridas, discussed the strategy with SecureWorld News:
"This strategy has not come at a more critical time. As cyber threats surge and AI technologies advance at an unprecedented rate, concerns about privacy and data safety have sparked public discourse.
The emphasis on cyber education and training in this initiative holds the promise of equipping companies with the knowledge and skills to effectively safeguard their data and adhere to privacy laws and guidelines. This could improve the public attitude and trust in AI, while ensuring businesses avoid potential lawsuits.
The White House's forward-thinking approach to addressing the nation's workforce will hopefully help guide the U.S. while it keeps up with the ever-evolving challenges of cybersecurity."
Those who work in cybersecurity know that no single organization can address the cyber workforce gap alone. The strategy's success will depend on educators, industry, government, and other partners working together to unlock America's cyber talent.
Empowering the American workforce with cyber skills is framed as critical to national security and future prosperity. Effective execution of the strategy will require participation from groups nationwide to equip the U.S. to lead in the digital economy of the 21st century.
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