The U.S. Government Accountability Office has made recommendations to the Coast Guard regarding cyberspace staff recruitment and retention.
The Coast Guard, the maritime military service within the Department of Homeland Security, established cyberspace in 2015 “to help protect the marine transportation system from threats,” a Sept. 27 GAO report said.
“Such threats could be delivered through the internet, telecommunications networks and computer systems,” the GAO report said. “This report addresses the extent the Coast Guard has (1) identified its cyberspace workforce and determined its associated mission needs and (2) implemented selected leading practices in its cyberspace workforce recruitment, retention and training.”
More than 500 cyberattacks were made against the marine transportation system in 2020, the report said.
The Coast Guard’s cyberspace is required to use manpower requirements determination to determine the workforce size and expertise required for its tasks, according to the report. However, a significant section of its cyberspace workforce hasn’t used the approach, including three headquarters units which, when combined, account for 55% of its cyberspace employees.
GAO’s recommendations included identifying the number of cyberspace personnel required to satisfy mission objectives and implementing recruitment and retention strategies, such as creating a strategic workforce strategy for its cyberspace workforce. The Department of Homeland Security accepted the suggestions, the release reported.
