After Congress passed a bill to help recruit and train cybersecurity employees for the U.S. government, the measure was signed into law June 21 by President Joe Biden. It is hoped that a steady supply of recruits for U.S. cybersecurity will help fortify existing cybersecurity systems and expand national cyber-war capabilities.
According to a press news release from the White House briefing room, Congress has passed S. 1097, the “Federal Rotational Cyber Workforce Program Act of 2021,” which creates a "Federal rotational cyber workforce program for the federal cyber workforce."
"A strong national security posture is impossible without a strong cyber workforce," U.S. Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) said. "To effectively combat ongoing threats we must have highly skilled, federal IT professionals who can safeguard our networks. This new law will help ensure there is a pipeline of talented and qualified cybersecurity professionals who can protect our systems and prevent bad actors from stealing sensitive data and compromising national security."
In a recent statement, Sen. John Hoeven (R-N.D.) of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs said “Cyber-attacks targeting our nation continue to grow in frequency and complexity, and it is essential that we stay ahead of our adversaries and others who seek to illegally access and disable critical systems, including those run by federal agencies.
"That’s why we advanced this legislation to improve career opportunities for cybersecurity professionals, including those in the private sector, who want bring their expertise to the federal government," he added. "The personnel rotation program created by our bill will help ensure federal agencies can recruit and retain a skilled workforce that is better able to protect against and counter the threats we face.”
The National Law Review reports that the Cyber Workforce Program Act was passed with the intent to help cybersecurity employees at U.S. federal agencies develop an enhanced cybersecurity skillset, and help the federal government compete with private corporations when attempting to recruit the best available programmers. In practice, the CWPA lets cybersecurity professionals hold temporary positions at different federal agencies, rotating from one to another.
The Office of Personal Management will create and facilitate this “rotational work force development program across federal agencies.” The Government Accountability Office, will submit periodic reports to Congress detailing the progress of the rotational development program to assess its effectiveness.
