Commerce committee

Senators Introduce Bill Aiming to Grow Cybersecurity Workforce

The legislation is part of a growing industry-wide and government effort to attract more workers to the cybersecurity field.

  • By Haley Samsel
  • Nov 07, 2019

With the United States facing a critical shortage in cybersecurity professionals, four senators serving on the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee have introduced a bill that would devote resources toward recruiting and educating the next generation of cybersecurity workers.

Introduced on Tuesday by a bipartisan group of legislators, the Harvesting American Cybersecurity Knowledge through Education (HACKED) Act aims to “bolster existing science education” and cyber programs within the National Institute of Standards and Technology, National Science Foundation, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the Department of Transportation.

The bill comes just as (ISC)², a nonprofit providing cybersecurity certifications, releases its annual workforce study. There is now a global shortage of about 4 million cybersecurity workers. an increase of over 1 million from last year. To properly defend American organizations from cyberattacks, the workforce needs to grow 145 percent — by about 500,000 professionals — to fill the gap, according to the nonprofit’s findings.

“America is facing serious cyber threats every day in today’s increasingly connected world, yet there is a serious shortage of workers needed to confront this urgent challenge,” Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), a co-sponsor of the legislation, said in a statement. "There are currently 300,000 vacancies in our cyber workforce nationwide."

Committee chairman Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) said that cybersecurity risks are only becoming more intense, requiring a workforce that can safeguard American innovation and work environments.

“This legislation is an important first step to expand the cybersecurity workforce and provide tools to support necessary education and training,” Wicker said.

The bill, which was also co-sponsored by Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), will still need to get approved by the committee before it can put to a vote by the full senate. Similar legislation has already been introduced in the House, and major companies like Google and Apple have committed to taking a series of actions to recruit a larger and more diverse workforce.

About the Author

Haley Samsel is an Associate Content Editor for the Infrastructure Solutions Group at 1105 Media.

Featured

  • Maximizing Your Security Budget This Year

    7 Ways You Can Secure a High-Traffic Commercial Security Gate  

    Your commercial security gate is one of your most powerful tools to keep thieves off your property. Without a security gate, your commercial perimeter security plan is all for nothing. Read Now

  • Surveillance Cameras Provide Peace of Mind for New Florida Homeowners

    Managing a large estate is never easy. Tack on 2 acres of property and keeping track of the comings and goings of family and visitors becomes nearly impossible. Needless to say, the new owner of a $10 million spec home in Florida was eager for a simple way to monitor and manage his 15,000-square-foot residence, 2,800-square-foot clubhouse and expansive outdoor areas. Read Now

  • Survey: 72% of CISOs Are Concerned Generative AI Solutions Could Result In Security Breach

    Metomic recently released its “2024 CISO Survey: Insights from the Security Leaders Keeping Critical Business Data Safe.” Metomic surveyed more than 400 Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) from the U.S. and UK to gain deeper insights on the state of data security. The report includes survey findings on various cybersecurity issues, including security leaders’ top priorities and challenges, SaaS app usage across their organization, and biggest concerns with implementing generative AI solutions. Read Now

  • New Research Shows a Continuing Increase in Ransomware Victims

    GuidePoint Security recently announced the release of GuidePoint Research and Intelligence Team’s (GRIT) Q1 2024 Ransomware Report. In addition to revealing a nearly 20% year-over-year increase in the number of ransomware victims, the GRIT Q1 2024 Ransomware Report observes major shifts in the behavioral patterns of ransomware groups following law enforcement activity – including the continued targeting of previously “off-limits” organizations and industries, such as emergency hospitals. Read Now

Most   Popular

Featured Cybersecurity

Webinars

New Products

  • Unified VMS

    AxxonSoft introduces version 2.0 of the Axxon One VMS. The new release features integrations with various physical security systems, making Axxon One a unified VMS. Other enhancements include new AI video analytics and intelligent search functions, hardened cybersecurity, usability and performance improvements, and expanded cloud capabilities 3

  • 4K Video Decoder

    3xLOGIC’s VH-DECODER-4K is perfect for use in organizations of all sizes in diverse vertical sectors such as retail, leisure and hospitality, education and commercial premises. 3

  • EasyGate SPT and SPD

    EasyGate SPT SPD

    Security solutions do not have to be ordinary, let alone unattractive. Having renewed their best-selling speed gates, Cominfo has once again demonstrated their Art of Security philosophy in practice — and confirmed their position as an industry-leading manufacturers of premium speed gates and turnstiles. 3