U.S.-based businesses and government agencies face a shortage of between 350,000 and 600,000 cybersecurity professionals, and 56 percent of companies believe that their staffing shortfalls put them at moderate or extreme risk. A focus on increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion can help alleviate this gap.
In January 2022, MITRE conducted a study funded by the Hewlett Foundation that examined the current state of data on the diversity of the nation’s cyber workforce. The study found that there is a lack of clear data on the demographics of the cyber workforce, thus making it impossible to accurately assess the efficacy of various programs to increase DEI in the workforce. The study recommended that the U.S. government fund a yearlong dedicated pilot program to develop and test data, and a multiyear initiative focused on dissemination of DEI cyber workforce data.
In this follow-up white paper, available on the Center for Strategic & International Studies website, MITRE's Irving Lachow, Ph.D., explores the specific steps the U.S. government could take to implement these recommendations.