Officials at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) are planning to hire as many as 1,000 IT workers over the next three years in security-related areas such as vulnerability detection and network and systems engineering. This is the result of a collaborative effort between the DHS, the Office of Personnel Management, and the Office of Management and Budget.

According to DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano:

“This new hiring authority will enable DHS to recruit the best cyber-analysts, developers and engineers in the world to serve their country by leading the nation’s defenses against cyber-threats.”

The decision to make security hiring a priority was made partly as a result of a report prepared by Partnership for Public Service. The report is critical of the government’s cybersecurity efforts, painting them as dysfunctional, uncoordinated, and fragmented in governance.

A government entity that is dysfunctional and uncoordinated? Hard to believe, huh?

The report from Partnership for Public Service recommends the U.S. Office of Personnel Management develop a high-level team to identify top cybersecurity talent and recruit them. It also recommends the creation of training programs for undergraduate and graduate students. The government currently runs a scholarship program to fill some entry-level jobs with recent grads.

The Partnership for Public Service report is available to download.