On June 6, Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano met with representatives of industry and small businesses “to discuss the Department’s current efforts to secure cyberspace and develop the cyber workforce.” The Secretary said, “Today we face an increasing demand for the best and the brightest in the cyber security field across industry, academia and government. DHS is committed to working with our partners at universities and throughout the private sector to develop the next generation of cyber professional to protect against evolving cyber threats.”

The Secretary also announced the launch of “an effort focused in cyber workforce development.” This new effort by the Homeland Security Advisory Council will take the form of a new task force, co-chaired by Jeff Moss and Alan Paller, who “will consider strategies that may include expanding DHS involvement in cyber competitions and university programs, enhancing public-private partnerships, and working with interagency partners to develop an agile cyber workforce across the federal government.”