Rick Wagner, ManTech International president and former Wash100 winner, said the government has to offer better incentives for cybersecurity talent as industries such as the banking sector increases demand for workers, Federal Times reported Tuesday.
Sean Plankey, principal deputy assistant secretary at the Department of Energy’s Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security and Emergency Response, also told attendees at the 2019 CyberCon event that the department is working to strengthen ties between the government and private sectors. Plankey said that DOE has sponsored training activities with private sector and government participants to improve crisis response.Â
He noted that the initiative has supported DOE’s efforts to integrate the federal sector’s emergency response operations with industry’s security methodologies for critical infrastructure.
Venice Goodwine, chief information security officer for the Department of Agriculture, added that reducing the time needed to accomplish clearances could help encourage talent to work for the government. He also said that reskilling efforts and fostering innovative thinking can help address workforce challenges.
“If I want to keep the young, bright-eyed, bushy-tailed individuals, I need to make an environment where they can be creative,†said Goodwine.