{"id":27357,"date":"2024-03-07T16:52:01","date_gmt":"2024-03-07T16:52:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/uncategorized\/2024\/03\/07\/a-robust-cybersecurity-workforce-needs-more-than-degree-requirements\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T04:58:03","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T04:58:03","slug":"a-robust-cybersecurity-workforce-needs-more-than-degree-requirements","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/opinions\/2024\/03\/07\/a-robust-cybersecurity-workforce-needs-more-than-degree-requirements\/","title":{"rendered":"A robust cybersecurity workforce needs more than degree requirements"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The recent announcement by National Cyber Director Harry Coker regarding reduced barriers for cybersecurity jobs in the federal sector, including the potential relaxation of four-year degree requirements, has sparked debate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There are those that believe these requirements set a standard that reflects a certain level of commitment and skillset that cybersecurity professionals will need to be successful. On the other side, there are those that believe there are plenty of qualified candidates who may not possess a four-year degree but can help the nation combat its ongoing cybersecurity challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While the move by Coker ultimately aims to increase the pool of qualified candidates \u2013 and it would \u2013 it\u2019s just one piece of a larger puzzle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The talent retention challenge<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to the <a href=\"https:\/\/niccs.cisa.gov\/\">National Initiative for Cybersecurity Careers and Studies<\/a> (NICCS), there are more than 570,000 open cybersecurity jobs in the U.S. alone \u2013 with open positions increasing by 35% in the last year. This enormous number includes both private sector and public sector organizations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To address this, the government invests in several programs that help train cybersecurity professionals. However, today\u2019s competitive landscape is not just about recruitment, it\u2019s also about retaining existing talent. Public sector cybersecurity professionals are constantly lured by private sector offers that often promise significantly better compensation and career opportunities. This revolving door has weakened the government\u2019s cybersecurity posture, creating a vicious cycle where the shortage becomes even more acute.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One way for the government to correct this issue would be to create a certification program with a guaranteed service commitment baked in. This program would require graduates to work for the government for a specific period of time, ensuring a proper return on investment and a more stable workforce overall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Learning from the Army and the Marines<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Beyond a certification program with a guaranteed service commitment, the government has an opportunity to reshape the perception of what it means to be a cybersecurity professional for the United States government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The success exhibited by both the Army and the Marines in their awareness campaigns over the years provides a blueprint for the government to replicate as it pertains to cybersecurity. The ads generated by the Army and the Marines do an excellent job emphasizing the mission-focused nature of their work and the opportunity for citizens to make a real difference for the country. The federal government can adopt a similar approach to attract and retain cybersecurity talent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Given the fragmented nature of media today, the government could be very precise and strategic about where and when they disseminated their messages, as well as which messages to highlight based on the target audiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The power of education and advocacy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As a founding board member of the Software in Defense Coalition \u2013 a non-profit which advocates for accelerating the adoption of emerging technology for national security missions\u2013 I\u2019ve had firsthand experience fighting uphill battles and trying to educate people who were satisfied with the status quo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As we got off the ground, we were talking to different groups of people on The Hill, in budget committees, and others, and we quickly learned the power behind a targeted approach to education. By tailoring the message to different stakeholder groups in a way that helped them see their own benefits for participating, we were able to secure the funding we needed and garnered interest from high schoolers who wanted to learn more and pursue careers in the field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This same model can be applied by the government to raise public awareness and attract a diverse pool of candidates to the critical field of cybersecurity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Coker\u2019s initiative to reduce the barriers for cybersecurity jobs in the government is a positive step in addressing the nation\u2019s ongoing cybersecurity hurdles. However, there are more steps to be taken at the foundational level that can truly correct this issue that\u2019s been plaguing us for some time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Getting qualified candidates in the door, regardless of their education, should help in increasing the overall pool of talent, but the key is in building a committed and sustainable cybersecurity workforce to protect the nation. This is no easy task, but at the heart of it is changing the way in which the average American feels about cybersecurity and the role it plays in keeping all of us safe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once we get that right, everything else can fall into place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><i>Dan Wilbricht is President of Optiv+ClearShark, a provider of cybersecurity and IT services for the federal government.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There are more than 570,000 open cybersecurity jobs in the U.S. alone \u2013 with open positions increasing by 35% in the last year.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":30629,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":26,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[55,11,31,14,26],"tags":[],"coauthors":[5777],"class_list":["post-27357","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-career","category-fedlife","category-home","category-it-networks","category-opinions"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"C4LNTBJIX5H33CT36FCV7ZHMYY","arc_canonical_url":"\/opinions\/2024\/03\/07\/a-robust-cybersecurity-workforce-needs-more-than-degree-requirements\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>A robust cybersecurity workforce needs more than degree requirements - Federal Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"There are more than 570,000 open cybersecurity jobs in the U.S. alone \u2013 with open positions increasing by 35% in the last year.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A robust cybersecurity workforce needs more than degree requirements\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"There are more than 570,000 open cybersecurity jobs in the U.S. alone \u2013 with open positions increasing by 35% in the last year.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/opinions\/2024\/03\/07\/a-robust-cybersecurity-workforce-needs-more-than-degree-requirements\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Federal Times\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-03-07T16:52:01+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-08T04:58:03+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Dan Wilbricht\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Dan Wilbricht\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\n\t    \"@context\": \"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\n\t    \"@graph\": [\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Article\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/federaltimes\\\/opinions\\\/2024\\\/03\\\/07\\\/a-robust-cybersecurity-workforce-needs-more-than-degree-requirements\\\/#article\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/federaltimes\\\/opinions\\\/2024\\\/03\\\/07\\\/a-robust-cybersecurity-workforce-needs-more-than-degree-requirements\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"author\": {\n\t                \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/federaltimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"headline\": \"A robust cybersecurity workforce needs more than degree requirements\",\n\t            \"datePublished\": \"2024-03-07T16:52:01+00:00\",\n\t            \"dateModified\": \"2026-08-08T04:58:03+00:00\",\n\t            \"mainEntityOfPage\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/federaltimes\\\/opinions\\\/2024\\\/03\\\/07\\\/a-robust-cybersecurity-workforce-needs-more-than-degree-requirements\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"wordCount\": 752,\n\t            \"commentCount\": 0,\n\t            \"publisher\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/federaltimes\\\/#organization\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/federaltimes\\\/opinions\\\/2024\\\/03\\\/07\\\/a-robust-cybersecurity-workforce-needs-more-than-degree-requirements\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/GettyImages-1223427521.jpg.jpg\",\n\t            \"articleSection\": [\n\t                \"Career\",\n\t                \"FedLife\",\n\t                \"Home\",\n\t                \"IT &amp; Networks\",\n\t                \"Opinion\"\n\t            ],\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"CommentAction\",\n\t                    \"name\": \"Comment\",\n\t                    \"target\": [\n\t                        \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/federaltimes\\\/opinions\\\/2024\\\/03\\\/07\\\/a-robust-cybersecurity-workforce-needs-more-than-degree-requirements\\\/#respond\"\n\t                    ]\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"WebPage\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/federaltimes\\\/opinions\\\/2024\\\/03\\\/07\\\/a-robust-cybersecurity-workforce-needs-more-than-degree-requirements\\\/\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/federaltimes\\\/opinions\\\/2024\\\/03\\\/07\\\/a-robust-cybersecurity-workforce-needs-more-than-degree-requirements\\\/\",\n\t            \"name\": \"A robust cybersecurity workforce needs more than degree requirements - Federal Times\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/federaltimes\\\/#website\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"primaryImageOfPage\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/federaltimes\\\/opinions\\\/2024\\\/03\\\/07\\\/a-robust-cybersecurity-workforce-needs-more-than-degree-requirements\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/federaltimes\\\/opinions\\\/2024\\\/03\\\/07\\\/a-robust-cybersecurity-workforce-needs-more-than-degree-requirements\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/GettyImages-1223427521.jpg.jpg\",\n\t            \"datePublished\": \"2024-03-07T16:52:01+00:00\",\n\t            \"dateModified\": \"2026-08-08T04:58:03+00:00\",\n\t            \"description\": \"There are more than 570,000 open cybersecurity jobs in the U.S. alone \u2013 with open positions increasing by 35% in the last year.\",\n\t            \"breadcrumb\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/federaltimes\\\/opinions\\\/2024\\\/03\\\/07\\\/a-robust-cybersecurity-workforce-needs-more-than-degree-requirements\\\/#breadcrumb\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ReadAction\",\n\t                    \"target\": [\n\t                        \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/federaltimes\\\/opinions\\\/2024\\\/03\\\/07\\\/a-robust-cybersecurity-workforce-needs-more-than-degree-requirements\\\/\"\n\t                    ]\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/federaltimes\\\/opinions\\\/2024\\\/03\\\/07\\\/a-robust-cybersecurity-workforce-needs-more-than-degree-requirements\\\/#primaryimage\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/GettyImages-1223427521.jpg.jpg\",\n\t            \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/GettyImages-1223427521.jpg.jpg\"\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"BreadcrumbList\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/federaltimes\\\/opinions\\\/2024\\\/03\\\/07\\\/a-robust-cybersecurity-workforce-needs-more-than-degree-requirements\\\/#breadcrumb\",\n\t            \"itemListElement\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 1,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Home\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/federaltimes\\\/\",\n\t                    \"ad_zone\": \"home\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 2,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Opinion\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/federaltimes\\\/opinions\\\/\",\n\t                    \"ad_zone\": \"opinions\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 3,\n\t                    \"name\": \"A robust cybersecurity workforce needs more than degree requirements\"\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"WebSite\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/federaltimes\\\/#website\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/federaltimes\\\/\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Federal Times\",\n\t            \"description\": \"Federal Times\",\n\t            \"publisher\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/federaltimes\\\/#organization\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"SearchAction\",\n\t                    \"target\": {\n\t                        \"@type\": \"EntryPoint\",\n\t                        \"urlTemplate\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/federaltimes\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"\n\t                    },\n\t                    \"query-input\": {\n\t                        \"@type\": \"PropertyValueSpecification\",\n\t                        \"valueRequired\": true,\n\t                        \"valueName\": \"search_term_string\"\n\t                    }\n\t                }\n\t            ],\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\"\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/federaltimes\\\/#organization\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Federal Times\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/federaltimes\\\/\",\n\t            \"logo\": {\n\t                \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t                \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/federaltimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\n\t                \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/federal-logo-white.png\",\n\t                \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/federal-logo-white.png\",\n\t                \"caption\": \"Federal Times\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/federaltimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"\n\t            }\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Person\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/federaltimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1\",\n\t            \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t                \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=gcf4cb6ee0ec29e49e7a963234e4340ec\",\n\t                \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\n\t                \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\n\t                \"caption\": \"migration\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/federaltimes\\\/author\\\/migration\\\/\"\n\t        }\n\t    ]\n\t}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"A robust cybersecurity workforce needs more than degree requirements - Federal Times","description":"There are more than 570,000 open cybersecurity jobs in the U.S. alone \u2013 with open positions increasing by 35% in the last year.","robots":{"index":"noindex","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"A robust cybersecurity workforce needs more than degree requirements","og_description":"There are more than 570,000 open cybersecurity jobs in the U.S. alone \u2013 with open positions increasing by 35% in the last year.","og_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/opinions\/2024\/03\/07\/a-robust-cybersecurity-workforce-needs-more-than-degree-requirements\/","og_site_name":"Federal Times","article_published_time":"2024-03-07T16:52:01+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-08-08T04:58:03+00:00","author":"Dan Wilbricht","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Dan Wilbricht","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/opinions\/2024\/03\/07\/a-robust-cybersecurity-workforce-needs-more-than-degree-requirements\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/opinions\/2024\/03\/07\/a-robust-cybersecurity-workforce-needs-more-than-degree-requirements\/"},"author":{"name":"migration","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/#\/schema\/person\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1"},"headline":"A robust cybersecurity workforce needs more than degree requirements","datePublished":"2024-03-07T16:52:01+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-08T04:58:03+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/opinions\/2024\/03\/07\/a-robust-cybersecurity-workforce-needs-more-than-degree-requirements\/"},"wordCount":752,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/opinions\/2024\/03\/07\/a-robust-cybersecurity-workforce-needs-more-than-degree-requirements\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1223427521.jpg.jpg","articleSection":["Career","FedLife","Home","IT &amp; Networks","Opinion"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/opinions\/2024\/03\/07\/a-robust-cybersecurity-workforce-needs-more-than-degree-requirements\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/opinions\/2024\/03\/07\/a-robust-cybersecurity-workforce-needs-more-than-degree-requirements\/","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/opinions\/2024\/03\/07\/a-robust-cybersecurity-workforce-needs-more-than-degree-requirements\/","name":"A robust cybersecurity workforce needs more than degree requirements - Federal Times","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/opinions\/2024\/03\/07\/a-robust-cybersecurity-workforce-needs-more-than-degree-requirements\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/opinions\/2024\/03\/07\/a-robust-cybersecurity-workforce-needs-more-than-degree-requirements\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1223427521.jpg.jpg","datePublished":"2024-03-07T16:52:01+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-08T04:58:03+00:00","description":"There are more than 570,000 open cybersecurity jobs in the U.S. alone \u2013 with open positions increasing by 35% in the last year.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/opinions\/2024\/03\/07\/a-robust-cybersecurity-workforce-needs-more-than-degree-requirements\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/opinions\/2024\/03\/07\/a-robust-cybersecurity-workforce-needs-more-than-degree-requirements\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/opinions\/2024\/03\/07\/a-robust-cybersecurity-workforce-needs-more-than-degree-requirements\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1223427521.jpg.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1223427521.jpg.jpg"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/opinions\/2024\/03\/07\/a-robust-cybersecurity-workforce-needs-more-than-degree-requirements\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/","ad_zone":"home"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Opinion","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/opinions\/","ad_zone":"opinions"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"A robust cybersecurity workforce needs more than degree requirements"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/#website","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/","name":"Federal Times","description":"Federal Times","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/#organization","name":"Federal Times","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/federal-logo-white.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/federal-logo-white.png","caption":"Federal Times"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/#\/schema\/person\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1","name":"migration","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=gcf4cb6ee0ec29e49e7a963234e4340ec","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"migration"},"url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/author\/migration\/"}]}},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Federal Times","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes","push-errors":false,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1223427521.jpg.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27357","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27357"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27357\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27364,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27357\/revisions\/27364"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30629"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27357"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27357"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27357"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=27357"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}