Cybersecurity Workforce Development Resources

To develop a more resilient and capable cyber nation, we must have a highly-skilled cybersecurity workforce across industry and government. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is committed to helping organizations build a comprehensive cybersecurity professional capability. DHS has created tools and resources, including the National Cybersecurity Workforce Framework, to help organizations understand and act on their cybersecurity workforce needs.

DHS’s workforce development tools and resources help organizations answer questions such as:

• What is the current state of my employee's cyber capabilities?
• What gaps do we need to fill?
• What kinds of cybersecurity workers do we need to hire?
• How can I keep and grow my cybersecurity staff?

Effective cybersecurity workforce development helps organizations more efficiently and effectively recruit qualified cybersecurity professionals, and to provide this critical workforce with clear job descriptions and development opportunities. DHS has a resource to help organizations get – and keep – the right cybersecurity staff: The Cybersecurity Workforce Development Toolkit. The Toolkit will help you understand your organization’s cybersecurity workforce and staffing needs, and includes things like templates to create your own cybersecurity career paths, and resources to recruit and retain top cybersecurity talent.

Human Capital and Cybersecurity Management Professionals

Organizations interested in conducting a baseline assessment of their cybersecurity workforce needs can use the Capability Maturity Model to evaluate their current workforce and plan for the future. The model allows organizations to compare their capabilities to one another and enables leaders to make better decisions about their cybersecurity workforce needs.

Organizations need to be able to make data-driven decisions. The Cybersecurity Workforce Planning Diagnostic guides human capital investments based on the organization’s risk level to make smart decisions around resource allocation.

DHS also developed and implemented an assessment tool for the federal government. The IT Workforce Assessment for Cybersecurity was conducted to understand the composition and capabilities of the federal IT workforce executing cybersecurity responsibilities. Report findings are available for review.