Communications of the ACM
Government Is Falling Behind on Cybersecurity, Report Finds
Employees of AhnLab working in Seoul. South Korea's spy agency says that recent cyberattacks were carried out by using 86 IP addresses in 16 countries.
Credit: Lee Jin-man / Associated Press
A report released by the Partnership for Public Service and Booz Allen Hamilton has found that the U.S. federal government is falling behind in its efforts to protect its computer systems from a variety of threats because it does not employ enough well-trained cybersecurity experts.
The report cited several reasons for the lack of well-trained cybersecurity experts, including the fact that there are not enough qualified applicants for federal cybersecurity positions. The report also faulted the government's fragmented and uncoordinated approach to cybersecurity, as well as its cumbersome hiring process. Finally, the report said the disconnect that exists between the needs and perceptions of front-line hiring managers and human resource managers has contributed to the lack of well-trained cybersecurity experts in the federal workforce.
The report offers several suggestions for how to address this problem. For example, the report says the cybersecurity czar President Obama plans to appoint should develop a strategy for meeting the government's current and future cybersecurity needs. The lack of a person who coordinates cybersecurity workforce planning or decision-making has resulted in a large gap in planning and readiness. The report also called on the government to encourage more U.S. citizens to study math, science, and technology, and to expand scholarship programs for students in computer science and cybersecurity programs.
From The Washington Post
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