USCYBERCOM Wants to Keep Expanding Network of Academic Partners, Commander Says

U.S. Cyber Command welcomed the members of its Academic Engagement Network during the program’s first virtual event. 

AEN is USCYBERCOM’s effort to expand the U.S. cybersecurity workforce by partnering with universities nationwide. The program so far has 92 participating institutions, including eight federal institutions, 70 four-year colleges and graduate schools and 14 community colleges, CYBERCOM said Thursday.

During the inaugural event, USCYBERCOM Commander Gen. Paul Nakasone said he hopes to continue growing the network to the point where its participants move on from dialogue to developing real solutions. He said that AEN serves as a “common ground for a shared dialogue, not just CYBERCOM’s arena.”

Nakasone highlighted USCYBERCOM’s strategy of “persistent engagement,” which involves maintaining a proactive stance against adversaries and always being in constant contact. 

He said that the strategy will work best with partnerships, noting that USCYBERCOM’s workforce might not always have the numbers needed to respond to challenging problems.

USCYBERCOM hopes to rely on its network of partners during times when its bandwidth is stretched out by its “persistent engagement” strategy, Nakasone said. 

“It’s only through these partnerships and collaboration that we continue to make it increasingly difficult for our adversaries to operate,” he added.

Other federal organizations, including the Department of Homeland Security, are also facing challenges in hiring and retaining competent cybersecurity talent.

In December 2021, the Senate approved the Federal Rotational Cyber Workforce Program Act to allocate more resources to strengthening the federal cybersecurity workforce.