Obama Proposes Cyber Personnel Reforms

The White House on Thursday sent Congress its long-awaited proposal for comprehensive cybersecurity legislation. The bill includes several provisions that seek to recruit, retain, hire and train the federal cybersecurity workforce.

The goal of the proposal is to help Senate lawmakers craft passable cybersecurity legislation from more than 50 bills currently pending in both chambers.

Like many previous bills introduced, Obama's proposal would give the Homeland Security Department more flexibility in hiring cybersecurity experts. It also would allow the government and industry to temporarily exchange cyber professionals, so both can learn from each others' expertise.

"The recruitment and retention of highly-qualified cybersecurity professionals is extremely competitive, so we need to be sure that the government can recruit and retain these talented individuals," the White House said in a fact sheet on the proposal.

The bill also would require the DHS secretary to report each year for four years on specific metrics, such as the number of qualified employees hired, retirements, separations and recruitment, relocation and retention incentives paid to cybersecurity workers.