Cybersecurity Challenges Faced by State Governments
Cybersecurity is one of the most difficult concerns confronting state governments today. State agencies handle sensitive data that is subject to hacking, thus a labor shortage can have a severe impact on their operations. The House and other concerned professionals have engaged in heated arguments in an attempt to resolve the complexities surrounding the cybersecurity profession (Bergal, 2015).
Causes of Worker Shortages in State Governments
Training gaps, competing financial objectives, inefficient skill-testing, and a plethora of training programs are some of the emerging factors thought to exacerbate such difficulties (Pophal, 2014). As a result, we enlarge on the specific causes that contribute to worker shortages plaguing state governments and then give advice to avoid such shortages. State governments have had a routine problem with hiring cybersecurity experts. According to a report by National Association of State Chiefs Information, reduced payment, ineffective hiring process and a limited number of qualified personnel are among the primary reasons why the challenge exists (Bergal, 2015).
The Need for Skilled Cybersecurity Personnel
During the hiring process, an organization should be vibrant to ensure it does not end up with unqualified workers. Computer-security experts who can handle tax records and other sensitive data are difficult to find. Reports by the Department of Homeland Security show that the US Cyber Command is in need of over 5000 cybersecurity officers, a reason why many people buy the narrative of the existence of a crisis (Loeb, 2015). However, some experts believe that the government is making significant efforts which will shortly bridge any existing gap. For instance, the Department of Defense has initiated an intense formalization process of training and recruiting candidates to ensure there is always enough capacity.
Non-Cybersecurity Issues
The primary challenge that has made it difficult to maintain and develop IT workforce in most state departments is budget freezing. In efforts to cut on operation costs, various actions have been taken such as pay cuts, early retirement incentives, retraction of any planned pay rise, and furloughs. (Summers, 2010) A combination of the above factors significantly affects workforce services because all the affected organizations will lose expert knowledge. Almost 20% of state workers retire every year, and if this figure does not conform to the new experts being absorbed in the industry, then a crisis can result (Biggs & Richwine, 2014). More so, the composition of the workforce both in the private and private sector in a critical issue. In the US, the average age of state workers is rising with the baby boomers taking the largest portion (NASCIO, 2011). Since the workforce has gained significant knowledge and experience over the years when the time comes for them to retire which will almost be the same period they will leave the less-qualified workforce.
Recommendations
First, the state governments should coordinate with learning institutions regarding resources and investment to facilitate learning for cybersecurity workers. Through such programs, it becomes easier to analyze the skills that are missing in the job market and also determine if there are any competence gaps existing (Carroll & Moss, 2002). The learning institutions should also invest in innovative models that can help to build competence among graduates at a lower level, thereby ensuring they are ready for the job market. Also, there should be an improvement in the recruitment process to ensure that only those qualified are allowed to take part in the workforce (OYG, 2017). For instance, one of the qualifications to be considered in the cybersecurity workforce should be hands-on experience.
Conclusion
It is clear that the cybersecurity gap is widening over time with the demand expected to continue growing. Such a deficit has the potential to affect state governments in their operations since they hold sensitive data which can be hacked if proper caution is not taken. Nevertheless, the situation cannot be said to be a crisis because through collaboration among the affected parties, positive results can be realized. For instance, if the governments could partner with learning institutions to initiate cybersecurity programs, graduates will be equipped with the necessary skills at an early stage.
References
Bergal, J. (2015). Hiring Cybersecurity Staff is Hard for State. Retrieved from
http://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2015/5/11/hiring- cybersecurity-staff-is-hard-for-states.
Biggs, A. &Richwine, J. (2014). Overpaid or Underpaid? A State-by-State Ranking of Public- Employee Compensation. Retrieved fromhttps://www.aei.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/-biggs-overpaid-or-underpaid-a- statebystate-ranking-of-public-employee-compensation_112536583046.pdf
Carroll, J. & Moss, D. (2002). State Employee Worker Shortage the Impending Crisis. Retrieved from http://www.csg.org/knowledgecenter/docs/ta0210workshortage.pdf.
Loeb, M. (2015). Cybersecurity Talent: Worse Than a Skills Shortage, it's a Critical Gap. Retrieved from http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/technology/239113-cybersecurity- talent-worse-than-a-skills-shortage-its-a.
NASCIO. (2011). State IT Workforce: Under Pressure. Retrieved from
http://www.nascio.org/Portals/0/Publications/Documents/NASCIO_ITWorkforce_Under Pressure.pdf
Pophal, L. (2014). Attracting Big Talent to Small Cities. Retrieved from
http://www.hreonline.com/HRE/view/story.jhtml?id=534358095.
Summers, A. (2010). Comparing Private Sector and Government Worker Salaries. Retrieved from http://reason.org/news/show/public-sector-private-sector-salary.
OYG. (2017). Seven Ways to Attract and Retain Talent. Retrieved from
http://www.oyginc.com/articles/attractarticle1/.
