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DHS is the lead agency tasked with protecting the nation’s critical infrastructure from cyber threats. The Homeland Security Cybersecurity Workforce Assessment Act of 2014 required DHS to identify, categorize, and assign employment codes to all of the department’s cybersecurity workforce positions. These codes define work roles and tasks for cybersecurity specialty areas such as program management and system administration. Further, the act required DHS to identify and report its cybersecurity workforce critical needs. The act included a provision for GAO to analyze and monitor DHS’s implementation of the requirements. GAO’s objectives were to assess the extent to which DHS has (1) identified, categorized, and assigned employment codes to its cybersecurity positions and (2) identified its cybersecurity workforce areas of critical need. GAO recommends that DHS take six actions, including ensuring that its cybersecurity workforce procedures identify position vacancies and responsibilities; reported workforce data are complete and accurate; and plans for reporting on critical needs are developed.
A key component of mitigating and responding to cyber threats is having a qualified, well-trained cybersecurity workforce. The act requires OPM and federal agencies to take several actions related to cybersecurity workforce planning. These actions include categorizing all IT, cybersecurity, and cyber-related positions using OPM personnel codes for specific work roles, and identifying critical staffing needs. GAO’s objectives were to (1) determine the extent to which federal agencies have assigned work roles for positions performing IT, cybersecurity, or cyber-related functions and (2) describe the steps federal agencies took to identify work roles of critical need. GAO is making 28 recommendations to 22 agencies to review and assign the appropriate codes to their IT, cybersecurity, and cyber-related positions.
The security of federal information systems and data is critical to the nation's safety, prosperity, and well-being. However, federal systems and networks are inherently at risk because of their complexity, technological diversity, and geographic dispersion. Further, threats to federal information technology (IT) infrastructure continue to grow in number and sophistication, posing a risk to the reliable functioning of our government. A key component of the government's ability to mitigate and respond to cybersecurity threats is having a qualified, well-trained cybersecurity workforce. The objectives of chapter 1 are to determine the extent to which federal agencies have assigned work roles for positions performing IT, cybersecurity, or cyber-related functions and describe the steps federal agencies took to identify work roles of critical need. As reported in chapter 2, DHS has identified, categorized, and assigned employment codes to its cybersecurity positions and identified its cybersecurity workforce areas of critical need. Chapter 3 assessed whether: OPM developed a coding structure and procedures for assigning codes to cybersecurity positions and submitted a progress report to Congress; CFO Act agencies submitted complete, reliable baseline assessments of their cybersecurity workforces; and CFO Act agencies established procedures to assign codes to cybersecurity positions.
Professionalizing the Nation's Cybersecurity Workforce? Criteria for Decision-Making considers approaches to increasing the professionalization of the nation's cybersecurity workforce. This report examines workforce requirements for cybersecurity and the segments and job functions in which professionalization is most needed; the role of assessment tools, certification, licensing, and other means for assessing and enhancing professionalization; and emerging approaches, such as performance-based measures. It also examines requirements for the federal (military and civilian) workforce, the private sector, and state and local government. The report focuses on three essential elements: (1) understanding the context for cybersecurity workforce development, (2) considering the relative advantages, disadvantages, and approaches to professionalizing the nation's cybersecurity workforce, and (3) setting forth criteria that can be used to identify which, if any, specialty areas may require professionalization and set forth criteria for evaluating different approaches and tools for professionalization. Professionalizing the Nation's Cybersecurity Workforce? Criteria for Decision-Making characterizes the current landscape for cybersecurity workforce development and sets forth criteria that the federal agencies participating in the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education—as well as organizations that employ cybersecurity workers—could use to identify which specialty areas may require professionalization and to evaluate different approaches and tools for professionalization.
A key component of mitigating and responding to cyber threats is having a qualified, well-trained cybersecurity workforce. The Federal Cybersecurity Workforce Assessment Act of 2015 requires OPM and federal agencies to take several actions related to cybersecurity workforce planning. GAO is to monitor agencies’ progress in implementing the act’s requirements. For this report, GAO assessed whether: (1) OPM developed a coding structure and procedures for assigning codes to cybersecurity positions and submitted a progress report to Congress; (2) CFO Act agencies submitted complete, reliable baseline assessments of their cybersecurity workforces; and (3) CFO Act agencies established procedures to assign codes to cybersecurity positions. GAO is making 30 recommendations to 13 agencies to fully implement two of the act’s requirements on baseline assessments and coding procedures.
GAO reported in 2018 that DHS had taken steps to assess its cybersecurity workforce; however, it had not identified all of its cybersecurity positions and critical skill requirements.
Thousands of high-risk chemical facilities may be subject to the risk posed by cyber threat adversaries— terrorists, criminals, or nations. These adversaries could potentially manipulate facilities’ information and control systems to release or steal hazardous chemicals and inflict mass causalities to surrounding populations. In accordance with the DHS Appropriations Act, 2007, DHS established the CFATS program to, among other things, identify and assess the security risk posed to chemical facilities. GAO was asked to examine the cybersecurity efforts of the CFATS program, including the extent to which the program (1) assesses the cybersecurity efforts of covered facilities, and (2) determines the specialty training and level of staff needed to assess cybersecurity at covered facilities. GAO is making six recommendations to DHS to routinely review guidance and update, as needed; to fully incorporate key training practices; and to identify workforce cybersecurity needs.
Recent cyber attacks demonstrate the potentially devastating impact these pose to our nation¿s computer systems and to the fed. operations and critical infrastructures that they support. They also highlight that we need to be vigilant against individuals and groups with malicious intent, such as criminals, terrorists, and nation-states perpetuating these attacks. The Dept. of Homeland Security (DHS) is the focal point for coordinating cybersecurity, including responsibility for protecting systems that support critical infrastructures, a practice commonly referred to as cyber critical infrastructure protection. This report summarizes key reports and associated recommendations aimed at securing our nation¿s cyber critical infrastructure.