DOD Official Stresses Urgent Need to Expand Cybersecurity Workforce

Washington, D.C. — The Defense Department is facing a critical shortfall in cyber professionals, with more than 20,000 vacancies across the department, including 7,000 essential positions, a senior official warned during a cybersecurity workforce showcase in Washington yesterday.Mark Gorak, Director of the DOD’s Cyber Academic Engagement Office, addressed members of Congress and cybersecurity stakeholders, emphasizing that building a robust cyber workforce is a matter of national security.“We’re at a critical point; cyber talent is a national security imperative,” Gorak said. “The need for skilled cyber professionals has never been greater amid a constantly changing digital landscape filled with relentless adversaries.”Gorak highlighted the department’s “CyberSkills2Work” initiative, which targets veterans, transitioning service members, first responders, and federal employees. The program provides tailored training, industry certifications, and support networks to quickly prepare individuals for cybersecurity roles. To date, it has trained approximately 3,500 professionals, investing over $10,000 per participant in education and training.However, Gorak stressed that such initiatives are part of a broader effort. He outlined five key strategies being pursued by the DOD’s Chief Information Officer to build a world-class cyber workforce: qualifying personnel, adopting skills-based hiring, expanding certification and training opportunities, enhancing pay and workforce initiatives, and addressing resource limitations.A newly developed “workforce health report” is also enabling better workforce planning by providing detailed data on skillsets and job roles across the department.Gorak called on Congress to continue supporting the Cyber Academic Engagement Office, noting that their backing enhances workforce development, strengthens national security readiness, and streamlines collaboration between academia, government, and private partners.“Let’s keep building the cyber workforce our nation needs into the 21st century and beyond,” he concluded.