Challenges of Recruiting and Retaining a Cybersecurity Work Force

Cybersecurity is one of the most daunting National security and economic security challenges of our generation. As our adversaries grow in sophistication, so, too, will the challenges associated with preventing their attacks. As the lead civilian agency for our Federal cybersecurity posture, the Department of Homeland Security factors as a critical piece of this equation. In 2014, it was estimated that $1 billion of personally identifiable information was stolen from cyber attacks. It is also estimated that the average cost of a data breach will be $150 million by 2020. Cyber attacks are growing in frequency and they are growing in their sophistication, but the availability of qualified cybersecurity professionals to deal with these challenges is unfortunately not keeping pace. There have been several studies over the past few years documenting the growing shortage of cybersecurity professionals. In this ever-increasingly connected world, the problem is only going to get worse. One estimate from the consulting firm of Frost & Sullivan is forecasting a shortage of a staggering 1.8 million cybersecurity workers world-wide by 2022, just 5 years from now. Some industry estimates are that 53 percent of organizations now experience delays of 6 months or longer to find qualified cybersecurity candidates. We know that the entire industry is facing an unprecedented shortage of cybersecurity workers at all levels of competency, from front-line defenders to CIOs. It is against this backdrop that the Department of Homeland Security must compete with the private sector to recruit and retain the best talent possible in order to carry out its cybersecurity mission and to protect our critical infrastructure.