The Office of Personnel Management, which was subject to one of the largest cyberattacks in the history of the U.S. government, is producing a series of badges aimed at showing off the cyberskills of the federal workforce.
OPM’s acting director, Beth Cobert, told a Washington, D.C. audience on Tuesday that the administration wants to recognize the talent of the many “cyber professionals” that work for the federal government.
She said OPM wants to use “gamification” to promote and recognize the “skills and achievements of this pivotal workforce.”
“When someone says they are a Navy Seal or Army Ranger, we immediately know that means they have special advanced skills; that they are at the top of their game,” she said. “We are working on developing badges that will provide our cyber professionals with that kind of recognition.”
“So when someone says they are a cyber-defender, cyber warrior, or cyber investigator, their level of expertise will be instantly understood and recognized,” Cobert added.
Last summer, OPM was forced to admit that hackers broke into its computers and stole the personal information on 22.1 million current and former federal workers. OPM first admitted that information was stolen from just 4.2 million people, then after being on the news for weeks that about 18 million more people were affected.
The incident forced OPM Director Kathleen Archuleta to resign, and the White House admitted that someone with the right “set of skills and experience” was needed at OPM.
Since then, OPM has been forced to shell out hundreds of millions of dollars for identity theft protection for the millions of people affected.
Cobert made scant mention of last year’s massive attack in her Tuesday speech, and instead praised the abilities of the federal cyber workforce.
“I also want to thank all of you here today who are part of the federal family for all your work on the systems and strategies that make it possible for your agencies to fulfill their missions, while keeping the information and data they collect and use safe and secure,” she said.
She did say, however, that hiring minorities is a key part of building up a competent cyber workforce.
“Building and retaining a federal workforce that draws from all segments of society is a high priority for this president and for me,” she said.
“And let me be clear. Diversity is not a priority because it’s something ‘nice’ to have,” she said. “It’s a business imperative. We need to draw from the expertise, the backgrounds, and the experiences of individuals from every community in this country.”
Cobert said the Obama administration has hired 3,000 cybersecurity and IT professionals in the past six months, and will hire another 3,500 by January.
