The global tech trade association ITI expressed its support for the release of the National Cyber Workforce and Education Strategy by the White House Office of the National Cyber Director (ONCD). The strategy aims to build the U.S. cyber workforce and education system to address the critical shortage of cybersecurity professionals and enhance national security and competitiveness, according to a July 31 news release.
“Effective cybersecurity is key to maintaining U.S. national security and ensuring U.S. competitiveness," ITI Senior Vice President for Policy and General Counsel John Miller said in the release. "As the number of unfilled cybersecurity jobs continues to grow and cyber attacks become more sophisticated, the release of the National Cyber Workforce and Education Strategy is timely. It appropriately emphasizes the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion for a modern technology workforce."
Miller also called for private-public collaboration to meet the evolving cybersecurity workforce needs, according to the release.
The National Cyber Workforce and Education Strategy, a plan to develop the U.S. cyber workforce and education system and address the critical cyber workforce shortage, was released by ONCD July 31, the release reported.
ITI has urged decision-makers to take into account the impact of the cybersecurity workforce and the more than 700,000 open cybersecurity positions when putting the National Cybersecurity Strategy into practice. ITI offered suggestions in the release on how to lessen the effort associated with security and give cybersecurity specialists more influence in a written testimony it filed in June to the U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security Subcommittee on Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection.
"Executing this strategy can bolster the investments and resources needed to protect and defend the digital economy, secure the infrastructure that underpins it, and address the complex and evolving threat environment in an efficient way," Miller continued, according to the release. "We look forward to partnering with the Biden administration to implement the strategy and advance the private-public collaboration necessary to meet today’s evolving cybersecurity workforce needs.”
