The Office of the Department of Defense Chief Information Officer (DoD CIO) released the “2023-2027 DoD Cyber Workforce Strategy.” This report presents strategies for cyber workforce management as a response to the expansion of the cyber domain. As the cyber workforce continues to grow, there is a need for unified management to ensure the Nation’s security. This strategy includes the following four “workforce goals” to “achieve the mission and vision of this strategy”:

The report also recognizes various challenges DoD faces in the workforce. The COVID-19 pandemic created a lasting impact in the way people work across the globe. As a result, malicious cyber activities continue to grow and evolve. According to the report, the increased amount of remote workers has inspired a 238% increase in cyber attacks. Foreign actors have also threatened the Nation’s security. Some recent examples mentioned in the strategy report include the Russian Intelligence Service’s SolarWinds hack, the ransomware attack on the Colonial Pipeline by a Russia-linked cybercrime group, and Iranian-linked hackers. DoD speaks of the limited amount of talent in the cyber industry and hopes that by collaborating with other government agencies and academia, a world-class workforce will rise to meet these and future cybersecurity challenges.

For more information on the cyber domain, check out HSDL’s In Focus topics on Cyber Infrastructure Protection, Cyber Policy, and Federal Workforce Challenges.