CISA Preparing to Implement New Cyber Talent Management System

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency is preparing to implement the Department of Homeland Security‘s new Cyber Talent Management System.

DHS launched CTMS in August to address the challenges it is facing in hiring and retaining professionals with the skills needed to support the government’s cybersecurity mission. The United States is facing a shortage of approximately 500,000 cybersecurity professionals, Federal News Network reported Wednesday.

Angela Bailey, chief human capital officer at DHS, said hiring managers will have more flexibility to dictate employee classifications and compensation packages under CTMS.

“Nothing’s going to be predefined from the beginning. We have to give people some idea what they’re going to do, and we have to give people some idea what we’re going to pay, but it doesn’t have to be so finite,” Bailey said, alluding to the government’s general schedule for compensation.

CTMS includes an excepted DHS Cybersecurity Service that will include positions that have their own qualifications related to cybersecurity skills.

Bailey said she expects CISA to start out with about 150 CTMS positions, whose descriptions may be as specific as the agency’s hiring managers want.

Alongside CISA, the Office of the DHS Chief Information Officer will also be able to immediately implement CTMS.

CTMS is only one of DHS’ several lines of effort to expand its cybersecurity workforce. CISA recently tapped NPower and CyberWarrior to develop cyber workforce training programs focused on non-traditional communities.

CISA also partnered with Girls Who Code, a nonprofit computer science organization, to create more opportunities for young women to pursue careers in cybersecurity and technology.

The agency said in a statement that the partnership will help address diversity disparities by opening up cybersecurity jobs for women of varied ethnic and social backgrounds.