Statement by Secretary Jeh C. Johnson on Cyber Hiring

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
Contact: 202-282-8010

It's National Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Cybersecurity has been one of our Department's most important missions, and hiring top cyber talent is crucial to our success in that mission. I am pleased to report our significant progress in that regard.

In July, we convened the first-ever DHS Cyber and Technology Job Fair. This two-day event generated more than 14,000 applicants, 2,500 walk-in candidates, and 842 onsite interviews.  As a result, the Department made more than 400 prospective job offers. Of this number, over 120 candidates became new employees within sixty days.  

We thank Congress for new legal authorities in support of our cyber recruitment and retention efforts. The Department is maximizing its use of these authorities to build our cyber work force. We also thank the Office of Personnel Management for granting DHS the authority to hire 1,000 cyber professionals this calendar year.

We will continue to hire the best and brightest. Nowhere is this need more critical than in cybersecurity.

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