The Department of Homeland Security can’t ensure it’s prepared for increasing national cybersecurity threats because it has yet to complete a thorough workforce assessment, according to an inspector general report. DHS failed to submit complete, annual workforce assessments on time the last four years, as required by the Federal Cybersecurity Workforce Assessment Act of 2015. The IG also found that DHS struggled with the mandates because cyber workforce data wasn’t readily available. Dave Nyczepir has more.

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How AB5 is going to impact the security community

Much of the attention around California's new labor law has focused on what it might mean for Uber and Lyft drivers. But the law could also have ramifications for bug bounty firms that connect Fortune 500 companies with external researchers who identify or help mitigate software vulnerabilities, typically on a contract basis. The extent to which the law, which goes into effect Jan. 1, is applicable to bug bounty freelancers will hinge on an individual’s specific professional situation, employment attorneys said. Still, it could make it harder for companies to retain triage talent. Jeff Stone has more.

Who can make sense of the U.S.'s 738,000 credentials?

A recent study found there are more than 738,000 unique postsecondary and secondary credential opportunities in the United States. But this massive credential landscape proves difficult for employers and students to navigate without reliable data on programs’ relevance or a standard way to map them onto various career paths. According to the report, written by Credential Engine, a nonprofit group for raising awareness of credential programs, the recent count more than doubles its 2018 estimate of approximately 334,000 credentials. Yet not much is known about the value and impact of each of these credentials or whether their curriculums and learning outcomes meet the needs and goals of the workforce. Betsy Foresman has more.

How the Army is wrangling its 187 personnel data systems

The Army Talent Management Task Force has been charged with turning the branch’s archaic personnel system into a data-driven one, and in October it will be implementing a key part of that process: Most active-duty officers will receive their summer 2020 unit assignments through an overhauled method. Currently a limited amount of information is used to match unit commanders with officers, but the new system will allow the Army to consider a much wider range of data. The goal is to grow from using two criteria — time in the service and competency grades — to more than 200 fields of data across 187 personnel systems that were never designed to talk to each other. Dave Nyczepir has more.

Job of the Day

Executive Director Human Capital Management | Dept. of Veterans Affairs

Workforce Management and Consulting (WMC) drives talent management throughout VHA, by providing consultation, HR policy development, operational guidance and workforce planning. WMC designs and delivers systems, infrastructure, and programs that enable VHA to deliver premier healthcare services through a motivated, highly qualified, and engaged workforce. See this job and more here.