Federal Cybersecurity Workforce Webinar

This webinar and the engagement tools will be recorded.

An archive will be available on the event website. 

Please Note...
FEDERAL CYBERSECURITY 

WORKFORCE WEBINAR

Providing Timely and Clear Data to Support Federal 

Cybersecurity Workforce Needs
FEDERAL CYBERSECURITY 

WORKFORCE WEBINAR

Welcome and Overview

Suzanne Nielsen

Office of the National Cyber Director
FEDERAL CYBERSECURITY 

WORKFORCE WEBINAR

Cyber Workforce Dashboard

Sarah Brickner

Program Analyst (Data Scientist)

U.S. Office of Personnel Management
Federal Cybersecurity Workforce Webinar

• Under development – due to sensitivity of data, OPM is deliberating which data can be 

released to the public; no release date set

• Dummy data used for this demonstration

• EHRI-SDM data

• EHRI-SDM data comes from Federal Agencies’ Human Resource Systems

• Onboard data (all employees at single point in time at end of FY): 3-5 months delay

• Dynamic data (hiring and separation actions throughout FY): 6-7 months delay

• Data is presented as percentages; Visuals with 10 or less people are withheld

• Excludes data at the Department/Agency/Sub-Agency levels

Cyber Workforce Dashboard
FEDERAL CYBERSECURITY 

WORKFORCE WEBINAR

Q&A
FEDERAL CYBERSECURITY 

WORKFORCE WEBINAR

Track the Gap to Hack the Gap

Will Markow

Vice President of Applied Research- Talent

Lightcast
Track the Gap to 

Hack the Gap 

Will Markow – Vice President of Applied Research

Lightcast.io
The Cybersecurity Talent Pipeline 

is Broken
You Can’t Prepare Workers for Jobs You Know Nothing About

Overcoming Data Shortfalls to Quantify the Full Cybersecurity Ecosystem 

1 Historically, labor market information 

only tracked limited cybersecurity roles

2 Cybersecurity jobs evolve rapidly, but 

most workforce data come with a lag

3 No common language for describing 

cybersecurity jobs, skills, etc. 

1 Leverage real-time job posting and social 

profile data

2 Define cybersecurity workforce in terms of 

job titles, skills, and credentials required

3 Map cybersecurity jobs to NICE 

Framework to create common language

The Problem The Solution
Tracking the Workforce of Today and Tomorrow

Lightcast Collects Workforce Data from Thousands of Sources Around the Globe

Regularly featured in:
Illuminating Cybersecurity Workforce Challenges and Opportunities

Lightcast Illuminates the Public and Private Cybersecurity Job Market
Deciphering the Cybersecurity Job Market with CyberSeek.org

We can’t keep 

cybersecurity workers!
What Do the Latest Data Tell Us About the Cybersecurity 

Workforce?
Despite Economic 

Uncertainty, 

Cybersecurity Job 

Demand Remains 

Strong

>

Over

755,743 cyber job openings 

in the U.S. last year

Over 1.1 million 

existing cybersecurity workers
But Supply 

Can’t Keep Up with Demand

Cybersecurity Worker Supply 

and Demand Ratio Cybersecurity jobs take

21% longer to fill

than other IT jobs

Cybersecurity jobs pay

10% higher salaries

than other IT jobs
What is Unique About Federal Cybersecurity Workforce 

Challenges?
Federal Cybersecurity Hiring is Fragmented

Cybersecurity jobs are 

posted by 

165

different federal 

entities
Public Cyber Demand is More Concentrated in Work Roles Related to 

Operate & Maintain, Collect & Operate, and Investigate

69%

64%

48%

39%

27%

12%

7%

78%

65%

44% 43%

33%

21%

24%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

Operate & Maintain Securely Provision Oversee & Govern Protect & Defend Analyze Collect & Operate Investigate

Share of Cybersecurity Demand

Public vs. Private Demand Across 

NICE Cybersecurity Framework

Private

Public

Note: One job may perform duties related multiple work roles, so the numbers will add to greater than 100%
Public Sector Cyber Jobs 

Struggle to Keep Up with 

Private Sector Pay...

Average Advertised Salary for Core 

Cybersecurity Jobs Entry-Level Cybersecurity Opportunities

28%

22%

10%

9%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

% Entry-Level Cyber Openings % Sub-BA Cyber Openings

Public Sector

Private Sector

$92,600 

$117,200 

$0 $20,000 $40,000 $60,000 $80,000 $100,000 $120,000

Public Sector

Private Sector

...But Offer More 

Entry-Level Opportunities
Sample Cyber Skills More Commonly Requested by 

Private Employers Than Public Employers 

>

+38%

+106%

+138%

+184%

+191%

Risk Management

Identity And Access Management

Cloud Computing Security

Automation

Private Employers Are 87% Python (Programming Language)

More Likely to 

Emphasize 

Emerging HighValue Skills
Questions? Are There Other Challenges Federal Employers 

Face?
How Can the Federal Government Address its Cybersecurity 

Hiring Challenges?
Direct Workforce Development 

Where it is Most Needed

Focus on Building the Talent Pipeline for In-Demand Work Roles

Systems 

Security 

Analyst 

is the mostdemanded work 

role among 

public employers

Demand by Work Role: Public Sector
Train for High-Value Skills

Arm Students with the Skills Employers Most Value...Not Just Degrees

Many emerging 

cybersecurity 

skills 

boost 

salaries by 

$10k-$15k+
Right-Size Job Requirements

Focus on Need-To-Haves Versus Nice-To-Haves

Removing a BA requirement

Saves $16,000 and grows 

entry-level candidate pool by 61% 

Eliminating specific certification requirements

Drops average salary costs by 

$9,000

Building, not buying, emerging cybersecurity 

skills

Saves $10,000+ for each 

emerging skill 

Sample Cybersecurity Job Requirements
Unlock the Power of Pathways

Build Diverse Talent Pipelines with Cybersecurity Career Pathways

>

Building career pathways between 

skill-adjacent roles helps you:

 Expand your talent pipeline

 Increase retention and employee 

engagement

 Reduce onboarding time

 Access more diverse pools of 

workers
Find Others With Skin in the Game

Partner with Local Employers, Policymakers, and Training Providers to Build the Next Generation 

of Cybersecurity Workers

Educators Employers

Policymakers
How Do We Make CyberSeek Even More Actionable for Federal 

Cybersecurity Employers?

1 Separate federal data from state and local governments in the tool

2

Include time series data to track historical cybersecurity demand, add breakouts by education and 

experience levels, and increase the number of certifications and training providers tracked in the 

tool

3 Provide sample job descriptions and other tools that help employers shift to skills-based hiring

Planned Enhancements to CyberSeek
Questions?
Contact Information:

31

Lightcast.io

CyberSeek.org

Will Markow

Vice President of Applied Research - Talent

will.markow@lightcast.io

Learn More:
FEDERAL CYBERSECURITY 

WORKFORCE WEBINAR

Q&A
Federal Cybersecurity Workforce Webinar

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Jan2023FedWebinar

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