New law

Federal Cybersecurity Rotational Program Signed Into Law

President Joe Biden on Tuesday signed into law a measure that allows federal cyber professionals to try out working at different agencies on a rotational basis. Dubbed the Federal Rotational Cyber Workforce Program Act, the bill was enacted amid a serious shortage of qualified cybersecurity workers in government service, FCW reported Tuesday.

The measure was sponsored by Sen. Gary Peters along with Sens. John Hoeven, Jacky Rosen and Maggie Hassan. It was introduced in the House of Representatives by Rep. Ro Khanna and cosponsored by Reps. Nancy Mace and Van Taylor.

The law’s proponents said that their primary intent is to attract and retain cybersecurity workers by offering them new professional experiences at different federal agencies. With the legislation’s enactment, certain cyber employees can now accept assignments outside their agencies for a period of one year, with the opportunity for a 60-day extension.

In a statement, Rep. Khanna said that the rotational program will give the federal government’s cyber professionals the “wide-ranging experience they need to defend the nation from growing threats abroad.” He added that the government cannot rely on private investment alone to protect America’s cyber-infrastructure from bad actors.

To facilitate the law’s implementation, the Office of Personnel Management has been tasked to develop and issue a program operation plan identifying what agencies will participate in the program as well as other policies and procedures. Agencies themselves will be able to decide which of their positions are eligible for the program, FCW further reported.

A study by the National Institute of Standards and Technology indicates that there are presently about 39,000 vacant cybersecurity jobs in the public sector.