7 Reasons Federal Cybersecurity Hires Will Grow

7 Reasons Federal Cybersecurity Hires Will Grow: Government officials have recognized the importance of investing in human capital, not just technology, to confront cybersecurity crises.Call me an optimist, but I predict the US government will make significant progress in 2014 in marshaling a human capital strategy — not just a technical response — to today’s cybersecurity crisis. Part of that optimism is predicated on the belief that there is opportunity in crisis. It’s also based on the sense that the executives with the power to create change have a deeper awareness of the crisis that cyberthreats pose and are more willing to address it than before.

Consequently, I believe in 2014, the government’s human capital challenge, of having the cybersecurity talent it needs, will begin to evolve — from crisis to collaboration, from being “stuck” to at the very least getting “out of the gate.”Why do I believe this?

Awareness of the need has been established

Security breaches of various kinds have significantly affected companies’ bottom line, reputation, and public trust. For better or worse, the C suite is now keenly aware of the need for security and is placing a higher value on qualified information security professionals. The troubling issues with the Affordable Care Act website has underscored the horrific impacts both to cost and and the security and privacy of waiving the requirements for acceptable system development. I believe this will build further awareness of the value of certification and accreditation authorization for all federal systems and the need for professionals skilled in implementing this critical process.