Strengthening cyber security: a priority for the United States of America

Today, Subcommittee Chair on Cyber Security and Infrastructure Protection Andrew Garbarino delivered an introductory speech during a hearing on the need to expand the national cybersecurity workforce. He thanked all attendees for their presence and reiterated his main commitment as President: to address the shortage of human resources in the cybersecurity sector. In addition, he highlighted the growing importance of the Cyber Security and Infrastructure Protection Agency (CISA) in mitigating risks across federal networks and critical infrastructure.

The urgent need for skills in the field of cyber security

In recent months, the Subcommittee has carefully reviewed the evolution of CISA since 2018, emphasizing the crucial role it plays in managing risk. However, having a skilled cybersecurity workforce is essential to ensure the success of CISA and any other public or private entity. Currently, the United States has more than 755,000 open cybersecurity jobs nationwide. In addition to the lack of professionals, many of those currently employed suffer from severe stress after years of dealing with major cyber incidents.

Creating the right cyber workforce for the future

Garbarino reiterated his belief that, to deal with growing cyber threats, you need not just enough people, but the right people, with the right skills, in the right roles. He expressed concern that even if all FBI cyber intelligence agents and analysts were focused on the Chinese threat, Chinese cybercriminals would still far outnumber FBI personnel. This fact underlines the urgency of tackling the talent shortage and the burnout epidemic together, both in the public and private sectors.

Strategies for developing the cyber workforce

During the hearing, the subcommittee chair welcomed four experts who could explain the private sector's efforts to move the industry forward. Garbarino said he was interested in hearing about creative models of education and training, such as apprenticeships and community college programs. He also expressed interest in efforts to quantify the challenges facing the industry and provide scalable solutions. These creative models, proposed by witnesses and other leaders in the field, will be essential in addressing the growing demand for skills in emerging technologies, such as AI. Finally, he underlined the importance of a bipartisan approach to addressing this challenge, thanking all present for their collaboration with the government in this endeavour.

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